Blues Society of Western PA - Newsletter

BSWPA's 7th International Blues Challenge (IBC's)

2011-07-18T22:03:00.001-04:00

We had success last year at the Clarion for the 6th IBC's in many ways. It was our largest crowd ever, we made enough money to pay for all the expenses and more. Mostly, we had the best group of competitors ever. We promptly decided to not mess with success and do it there in 2011. This year we had to cover more costs, though. We did not get the same amount of sponsorship that we did last year. We had to pay a sound man which we were happy to do after last year's fiasco. For those who didn't hear, we had a sound man who volunteered his services to get advertising and get in with the Blues Society. He got a call in the middle of the day and left! Poof! We were lucky he left the equipment and that Jim Hamel was knowledgeable enough to handle the sound for the rest of the night. Thanks to the blues fan, TJ who has since passed for assisting Jim. This year we had an excellent sound team, Big Cat Entertainment, who we paid for but at a much reduced rate. It was well worth it. Great job, Charlie and Jeff.

That was only one improvement over last year. The competition was even better than last year! There was not a weak spot in the line-up, as all the judges echoed. This is the thing that amazed me, though. Three years ago, we had to call bands from other areas to get enough bands for an interesting competition. Some people liked it, because there were new bands to hear. Others thought we should just do a half day with the few bands from the area who joined. We had 15 acts this year. Most thought it was the most talented that we have ever had ...AND every band was from Western Pennsylvania! This was the first time since I have been a member (5 years) that we have had all Western PA bands. More evidence of a growing pool of talent in the region. It was a good mix of bands we all know, like the band winners, Jill West and Blues Attack. This was their third win. Good luck to them. They had new stuff and they closed with their trademark "freeze." They ran away with first place this year (four 1st places and a 2nd on the score sheets). I thought that was unusual considering the level of competition, but way to go Blues Attack! The next three bands were separated by fractions of a point. Ron Yarosz and the Vehicle (last year's winners),Wayne and Wildroot and the Jimmy Adler Band. All of the bands got good comments. The judges had told me that this was the highest level of competition, top to bottom, that they had seen.

As far as the solo competition, the voting was tight. All three entries had solid marks. It was both tie-breakers that gave the victory to Chris Yakopcic. It was his solid guitar playing that gave him the victory. He plays old style blues guitar and switched up a guitar and dobro. The judges liked that.

The crowd was good again and we received many comments (most of them good) about the venue, the bands and mainly the atmosphere. The mix of tension ,excitement ,expectation and curiosity was everywhere. For those who have yet to come to an IBC competition, you don't know what you are missing. I remember my first. While the level of competition and few entries were nothing close to what we have today, it was still exciting. Make it next year!

So, thank you to the people who came to hear the bands. Thank you to the bands for giving their best 20 minutes. Thank you to the judges who have the toughest job. All I can say is "wait till next year!"

~ Article: Don Vecchio, Photos: Tom Martin

Pittsburgh Blues Festival - July 22-24, 2011

2011-07-18T22:02:00.000-04:00

All times subject to change.

Friday, July 22nd
Gates Open at 4:00 PMJaniva Magness (8:45 pm)
Kelly Richey (7:00 pm)
Blueswomen of Pittsburgh (6:00 pm)
The Olga Watkins Band(5:00 pm)

Saturday, July 23rd
Gates Open at 1:30 PMTedeschi Trucks Band (8:30 pm)
Lionel Young Band (7:00 pm)
John Németh (5:30 pm)
Pittsburgh All-Stars (4:30 pm)
2011 “Girls with Guitars” Tour(3:00 pm)
Jimbo and the Soupbones (1:45 pm)

Sunday, July 24th
Gates Open at 1:30 PMJohnny Winter (8:15 pm)
Tommy Castro (6:30 pm)
Jill West and Blues Attack (5:30 pm)
Savoy Brown (3:45 pm)
The Igniters (2:45 pm)
Bottom Shelf Band (1:45 pm)

Did you know?

2011-07-18T22:01:00.000-04:00

Johnny and Edgar Winter's grandfather and father, a former mayor of Leland, owned and operated a cotton business, J.D. Winter and Son. The door to their office is now housed in the Highway 61 Blues Museum along with many other collectables from Johnny, Edgar and other blues legends from the area.

Johnny Winter saluted Leland, MS in the song "Leland Mississippi Blues" in 1969 on the first of his many hit albums for Columbia Records.

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2011-07-18T22:00:00.002-04:00

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Interview with Charlie Musselwhite

2011-07-18T21:57:00.000-04:00

"The Blues Overtook me" is pure Charlie Musselwhite. A groundbreaking recording artist since the 1960s, Musselwhite continues to be a trail blazer in music while remaining firmly entrenched in the blues. His heart felt vocals, rich, melodic harmonica playing and deep country blues guitar work reflect his often autobiographical, original songs. Living Blues has stated, “Musselwhite’s rock-solid vocals creep up and overwhelm you before you know it. He plays magnificent harp with superb dexterity and phrasing. The results are amazing.” Blues Revue Magazine proclaimed , "It is hard to think of anything that harmonica master Charlie Musselwhite has not done. He should have been co-owner of the Blues Music Awards, having received 35 nominations and winning 23 times, including Album or Blues Album of the Year seven times! Musselwhite has been nominated six times for Grammy Awards and joined the Blues Hall of Fame in 2010." The Chicago Times stated that Charlie "is in top form with his deeply personal tales (newest CD, the Well)… a formidable talent, he defines the cutting edge in contemporary blues, putting a Chicago accent on his rural Southern harmonica chops.” At the 2011 Blues Music Awards, Charlie won the Best Instrumentalist-Harmonica Award and Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year! The Well, a CD just released in 2010, was nominated for the Traditional Blues Album of the year and his song, "Sad and Beautiful World," was nominated for Song of the Year.

Growing up in Memphis, he listened to the workers singing in the field. He once commented, "The feeling in that music-it described just how I felt. Man, it just wrapped itself around me ......It affected me so strongly that I just wanted to make that sound myself. Charlie Musselwhite is known for taking risks in music, broadening his perspective of the blues. Charlie plays hard-edged blues, up-tempo swingin' shuffles, dark jazz, a little rockabilly, some New Orleans swamp and even Latin-flavored blues from Rio and Cuba. His advice to new harp players: 'Don't imitate anybody. Be yourself. Playing what you feel inside is really the key. I call it following the will of the music. When you're playing that way, you're having fun with it. When you're having fun, you're learning. If you set it up like work, you're not gonna get the feeling in the music part. ...I 'm always thinking about the different places I try to get at musically. It's like reachin' into this unknown strange room to try and find the spark. There's a level where you play the stuff you just know by rote from years of playin' the traditional, but I'm always waiting for that door to open to the next level. When I can slide through, things become more spontaneous. When I get really hacky, I go over the top into where it really takes off. I feel like I'm standin' next to the tracks and there's a train highballin' right by the end of my nose. I can't even grab a hold of it. I can only just try to keep up with it. It's so fleeting, it's like trying to capture a moonbeam. You can't think at all or you lose it, you're just a witness to it. The more I play, it's easier to find that magical door." (Children of the Blues, Art Tripaldi)

Recently, I was listening to a song from the Powder Blues Band, the words "wrong side of town but the right side of blues" mirrored the life that Charlie Musselwhite embraced as a young man. I felt the need to talk with this man who has orchestrated his life through his love of the blues.

Jonnye: Growing up in Memphis, you were accepted as a player on Beale Street," the other side of town." What did you do to win their acceptance?

Charlie: (warm and congenial) I was interested in the blues from a young age and would follow the street singers. They were there and I was there. They were flattered that I was showing them interest and complimented that I wanted to watch and learn. They were glad to teach a little kid the blues. The difference, I was a little white kid hungering for the music.

J: You were quoted as saying, "Playing in Memphis was strictly for my own gratification. There was something in me that needed to be satisfied . I just wanted to play for myself and learn from those guys." Who influenced you or who taught you the most in your journey.

C: (Slowly, in a quiet voice) Will Shade from the Memphis Jug Band taught me guitar and harp. Furry Lewis taught me slide guitar. They recorded in the 1920s and the 1930s. Furry outlived Will and went on to work the Folk circuit at college campuses.

J: Elvis was on the scene in Memphis while you were there. You stated that his popularity gave you and your fellow musicians hope, validated your type of music and encouraged the players to be more active. What comes to mind when you think of those times.

C: (softly chuckling) Elvis was just like me...we were kids from Mississippi. The nearest big town was Memphis and that's where we would go. We dressed the same and were considered white trash. When Elvis became popular than we were not seen as being so bad. We were okay.

J: You were "schooled" in Chicago. In the 1960's, Chicago was the "living room" of Blues, a symbolic home-style offering of music that migrated from the South to the North. It was a time when white blues enthusiasts were able to mix it up on the streets, in the taverns, and in homes with the first generation music makers of all types. (Sounds like the words from one of your songs.) How did the music scene transform or affect your life.

C: (seriously) I went to Chicago to get a job in the factory. There was a migration where people traveled from Memphis to Chicago looking for great jobs. I stumbled on the blues scene. I saw signs in windows advertising Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. I would hang out in clubs. No one knew that I played. There was nothing better than to sit and listen to Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. (softly chuckling) A waitress finally told Muddy that I was a player. He recognized me from being in the clubs. The word got out. I had no plans to play but I was getting offers for gigs that paid money. (Laughing) What could be better? Just like in Memphis, the Chicago players were knocked out and flattered when someone wanted to learn.

J: You have said, "It’s about the feeling, and about connecting with people. And blues, if it’s real blues, is loaded with feeling. And it ain’t about technique, either. It’s about truth, connecting to the truth and communicating with the people.” You have had a long, varied life of good times and bad times....Your music always tells a story...How do you do this...I always feel that you are talking personally to us.

C: (a pause, quietly) I just play from my heart. (earnestly, seriously) It is just a simple way of saying it...not putting on a show but expressing from my heart. I just play what I know, the best that I can.

J: I love your Brazilian Blues...how did that evolve.

C: I would search junk stores in Memphis to find records. I could get them for a nickel back then. I would look for blues or any type of music from other parts of the world that would look interesting. I took a liking to Flamenco early on. Every culture has a music of lament...good times, bad times, lost love, a commonality. Music is natural to the world and I am a fan. I especially like the country and working people's type of music from around the world... those songs that are not the top 40.

J: With your new awards, where do you go from here. You are highly regarded by your fellow artists....what keeps you going.

C: (hesitating and with a soft chuckle)( I could feel the humble smile) I am flattered by the awards and I appreciate them. I don't let it go to my head. I don't deserve something special. I am lucky to be on the scene...(seriously) to be healthy and alive and to play music. Life is good. I do what I do and hope that people like it. It is no mystery...(seriously) I simply do what I do.

J: We will see you at the Heritage Festival in Wheeling on August 13. What would you like to tell the blues fans.

C: (laughing) (I could feel the smile) Come early, stay late! We'll blow all the blues away...at least until the next day! We will have fun! See you in August!~Jonnye Weber

After note: I shared with Charlie an amazing tribute. During a difficult time, my late partner had arranged for a nurse to purchase a ticket for me to see Charlie at the Rex. Walking into the building, the music wrapped its arms around me. Charlie helped sooth my wounds. It was a wonderful night to let the blues “wash away the dust of life.” I chatted with Charlie later in the evening. I felt like I was there with a close friend...and his music. At the end of the night when I returned to my husband’s bedside...the ultimate blues lover smiled a very tired smile and asked if Charlie had cheered me up....and how was my dose of the blues for the evening. Charlie's response: (a soft, uplifting chuckle) We are brought together for awhile with the music. Blues is not sad. It's about getting rid of the bad feelings. Blues...well, to quote John Lee Hooker...Blues is a Healer!

- Jonnye Weber

AD - Thunderbird Cafe

2011-07-18T21:54:00.005-04:00

Sharon, PA - City Blues Fest

2011-07-18T21:54:00.004-04:00

Remembering Pinetop Perkins

2011-07-18T21:53:00.000-04:00

~ Pinetop Reflections

I first saw Pinetop Perkins in 1974 when the Muddy Waters Band played at my high school in the north suburbs of Chicago. Since then Pinetop has been a constant and positive force in my life. I would see him perform with Muddy close to 100 times. I was at the Soundstage "Blues Summit" filming, and at the Alligator session for Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson, both which featured Pinetop. I first took Pinetop into the recording studio in 1980 to play on a Big Leon Brooks CD. Though I had been a fan of Pinetop, I look at this experience as the start of our friendship, and it was the first of many recording sessions we would do together. I would move to Arizona in the early 1980s and in 1991 I opened a blues club called the Rhythm Room where I would bring Pinetop to perform annually. Sometimes he would be coming through with his own band, but most of the time he came by himself and I would have my band back him. I was with Pinetop when he received 2 of his three Grammys. The first time was in 2005 when he got his lifetime achievement Grammy. There was a wonderful private luncheon ceremony at a ballroom at the Biltmore. Each of the many inductees had their entourage, and I felt honored to there as part of Pinetop's. This entourage included his manager, Patricia Morgan, Pinetop's lifelong friend Ike Turner, Kim Wilson, Paul Oscher, Mark Carpentieri of M.C. Records, and Elvin Bishop. We all felt so proud of Pinetop. The next day was the televised Grammy's ceremony, and I was on Pinetop wheelchair duty (which was a great honor). Well we had planned over an hour to get Pinetop to his seat so that at a specific determined time they would announce his award and the camera would zoom in. Well the security was not very wheelchair friendly, and despite Patricia Morgan's frantic attempts to cut through the red tape, we were made to wait at various security points. We cut it so close. So if you can imagine that on the commercial break with just a couple minutes to go, Patricia is clearing the way while I am wheeling Pinetop through the isle at top speed to get him to the 2nd row in the area where all the celebrities were strategically seated. Through all this rush, Pinetop was cool as can be. We got him to his seat, and he when it was his time, he waived to the camera and smiled for all the world to see! A few years later Pinetop got his second Grammy for his part in the CD Last Of The Delta Bluesmen. I remember a great moment at the Grammy after-party when Kim Danielson (My girlfriend of that time) and I took Pinetop outside for a smoke. I remember how lucky we felt as we watched this happy and satisfied man, puffing on his cigarette, and recalling stories of playing with Robert Nighthawk years ago in the deep south. After just receiving the highest musical honor, it was an amazing contrast of this man's experiences. It was also a joy to feature Pinetop as part of Willie "Big Eyes" Smith CD "Way Back" (which I produced). In 2009, we performed a spell-binding set together at the Bisbee Blues Festival. The last time that I saw Pinetop was in December of 2010 when we played at the Rhythm Room. During that time, Pinetop went out of his way to say "I love you" to me, which I am sure he says to many people, but it sure meant the world to me.

- Bob Corritore, Blueswax ezine

Get in the Game - NVWG 2011

2011-07-18T21:50:00.001-04:00

Looking for an exciting and rewarding way to spend your time? Consider lending a hand at the 31^st National Veterans Wheelchair Games, to be held in Pittsburgh,

August 1 - August 6, 2011

Go to: www.Pittsburghcares.org

Type in the search box: Veterans Wheelchair Games

Type in your zip code and dates of the Games: August 1-6, 2011

Many volunteer opportunities will be displayed.

Go through the list, find what interests you then register for those events.

Blues In Schools

2011-07-18T21:44:00.001-04:00

The long road home… - Interview with Lionel Young

2011-07-18T21:32:00.000-04:00

Lionel Young is preparing for his return to the 'burg for his performance at the Pittsburgh Blues Festival on July 23. Lionel was the 2008 International Blues Challenge winner of the solo/duo competition. What differed him from the rest? His blues set was done on an electric fiddle with a bow...decidedly an orchestra instrument. An orchestra performance ... no! It was a pure interpretation of Delta Blues ....done with four strings.

Most recently, Lionel Young took Memphis by storm when the Lionel Young Band was chosen as the winning band at the 2011 International Blues Challenge. His winning both the Solo/Duo and the Band Competitions is a first.... in the many years of the competition.

Pittsburgh, what you do not know...Lionel studied music at Carnegie Mellon and was a part of the Pittsburgh Symphony...impressive on that alone. The following conversation is to introduce to you to Lionel Young and his musical journey that is bringing him home to the 'burg.

Jonnye: What were your thoughts when you went to Memphis as part of a band in 2011 after winning the solo division in 2008.

Lionel: (A light chuckle, then a hesitant pause...and then an earnest answer) Dave McIntire, the president of the Colorado Blues Society, asked that I enter their band challenge to try for a spot in the 2008 International Blues Challenge. Frankly, my band was not interested....no pay and a lot of expenses to get to Memphis. I had promised that I would get into the competition. I really did not want to do it...but he said ...why not try it as a solo. I went "kicking and screaming" but I was honoring a promise that I had made. I didn't think that I could do it....work as a solo. It was shocking that I could do it and do it well. ( a soft chuckle)

J: How difficult was the transition from working as part of a band to performing as a solo artist? Did your solo stint in 2008 help you to prepare for 2011?

L: (Seriously) Well, I was used to working with the band. The competition opened a "lot of doors" on my first circuit. True, it seemed to be a lot of work both as a band and as a solo. There were a lot of promises. BUT...what you realize is that you are at the bottom of the pile. The next rung up on the pile is the pros. Mixing with the pros on bills like Buddy Guy, Ana Popovic, Ronnie Baker Brooks (many more were mentioned) ...is a different ball game! (quite earnestly and with a soft laugh)..You get one opportunity to make the most of what comes your way...that is the hardest part since winning... doing your best to maximize the opportunity. In some ways, we "foster" and teach the next generation with help from the IBC. (Intently and with a heartfelt passion) In preparation, I have learned to work backwards from the criteria required for the IBC. You have to work at scoring heavily in blues content and then the vocals. The rest of it, you work on it day by day. We chose songs ...making choices that were not about what we liked but picked songs that would score high. We used our experience as a band to offset ourselves from the other bands. I had to personally focus on doing better with the circle of people that I worked with. I even was coached on how to dress for the audience. What I noticed in 2008 was that some bands played too hard-the pressure of the situation and their reaction to that test (competing) made them nervous and they played faster and louder. People don't process at times that they need to settle their nerves as they play....knowing when they need to pull back and not play as loud and as fast. At the local level for competition in Denver, we knew we only had "one shot." Slowing down (seriously), nothing is too slow in the blues. Trampled Under Foot is not afraid to take their time to work a song. It may seem like forever when you are playing it but it is only a brief time...and the audience digests what you are trying to get across.

J: Having crafted a "smoking" type of blues on an electric violin that is unique and unusual, do you get the desired response that you are seeking from the audience or is it a delayed reaction. I noticed that when you play something, you turn and look at the audience...waiting for them to digest what they have heard. What are your secrets to winning over the audience.

L: Their reaction to my playing the violin is one of shock....the audience usually says...'Whoa...he is playing something different.' After their initial shock and you have gotten everyone's attention, you have to keep it and maintain it. If not, they tune you out and walk away after the first minute. You have to feel the connection. You may not get another chance...and (chuckling) that is why we play music. It is a learning process. Believe it or not, I am a SHY person, an introvert. A friend, Rachel, who has a Blues dance class helped me with my stage presence issues. She said that I was good ... (hesitating) something was missing. Rachel insisted..."Make me want to listen to you!" She said that I needed to pay attention to her, not myself. She said that I, the performer, had to appeal to her in a sexual, deep way and to relate to her with my music. (Sighing, answering slowly) I thought about it and worked very hard in that area. (Quickly adding) It is a scary thing when you are in front of people. Most people don't experience it every day and all day like performers. It makes people nervous and then you get an adrenalin rush. You learn to try different things. My thing...go within yourself to find refuge. It is not how good your vocals are...it's how you connect with people. People are very encouraging.

J: I have heard that you have researched music by listening to records. Do you have a collection of your own. What are your most valued records or which artists influenced you and why.

L: I have a lot of different kinds of records and different types of music. Sometimes I listen to everything that a person has put out. When I was young, I rode my bike to the Pittsburgh Public Library and listened to very old stuff...stuff that I found interesting and listened to very old stuff from far out and off the beaten path...violin music, gypsy recordings, Charlie Patten...stuff from the 20's and 30's. I listened to the complete recordings of Robert Johnson and Blind Lemon. I went on tangents and studied Albert and Freddie King. I would listen and listen until my ears were too tired to listen any more. I felt like a sponge listening to the music from the past. I draw on that to do what I do now.

J: Having studied and played music in Pittsburgh, would you share some of your 'burg experiences. What is on your to-do list while in the 'burg? Were there any Pittsburgh musicians that influenced or shaped your interpretation or style of music..

L: I studied music with the assistant concert master of music with the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony. I attended Central Catholic and Carnegie Mellon. Fritz Seigal was the student's concert master. I was around musicians every day. There is a strong blues community in Pittsburgh. They play it with real conviction. It is a neat city (excited and laughing). It is a cool place. I am always polarized by the warmth of the people and the yinzer accent! Pittsburgh's people are a 'unique' treasure! I AM a Steelers fan, always have been. Funny thing (laughing), I had just won the 2011 IBC and that was a GREAT experience. However, the next day the Steelers lost! I was devastated. I "flipped out." Football and music bring people together in Pittsburgh. I am looking forward to coming "home." I worked for awhile with Duane "Stackhouse" Johnson in the Midtown Playboys. I followed Mike Sallows on guitar and Lucy Van Sickle on harp. Lucy's father was a bass player in the symphony. I watched Chuck Watts teach guitar in Squirrel Hill. He knew everyone in town and I got to play.

J: Any special thoughts that you would like to tell the Pittsburgh Blues Fans about your blues. What should they expect.

L: Expect anything! It is my homecoming! I will lay a dozen roses on Heinz Field. Yes, (in a quiet, serious manner) I would like to add that I am writing music in preparation for unique challenges on December 2012. I strongly believe that no matter what happens, that if we stick together as people we will get through it. It is apocalyptic, it is factual... stay positive. See you in Pittsburgh.

~ Jonnye Weber

Heritage Music Blues Fest - August 12 - 14, 2011

2011-07-18T21:29:00.003-04:00

A WEEKEND OF AWARD WINNING BLUES!
featuring Blues & Grammy Award winners
http://www.facebook.com/heritagemusicbluesfest
http://heritagemusicfest.com
MAINSTAGE LINE-UP

FRIDAY AUG 12
Festival Faves,
Candye Kane,
Paul Oscher,
Bob Margolin's Vizztone Allstar Revue With
Gaye Adegbalola, Matt Hill, & more.

SATURDAY AUG 13
Georg Schroeter & Marc Breitfelder,
Deb Callahan,
The Nighthawks,
Moreland & Arbuckle,
Jason Ricci & Approved by Snakes,
Matt Schofield,
Jon Cleary's Philthy Phew,
& Charlie Musselwhite

SUNDAY AUG 14
Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King,
Teeny Tucker,
David "HoneyBoy" Edwards,
Kenny Neal,
& Buddy Guy w/Special Guest Quinn Sullivan

BLUESFEST 2011 TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW !
SAVE $10 PER PASS ON EXTENDED EARLYBIRD PRICES!
WEEKEND PASS PRICES WILL INCREASE MAY 12th, 2011

HERITAGE MUSIC BLUES FESTIVAL, WHEELING, WV

Bands and Musicians!

2011-07-18T21:27:00.001-04:00

How To Sing the Blues - A Primer for Beginners

2011-07-18T21:26:00.000-04:00

~ Original attributed to Memphis Earline Gray with the help of Uncle Plunky, emendations by Martha Beth Lewis

Most Blues begin with "Woke up this mornin'." It is usually bad to start the Blues with "I got a good woman" unless you stick something mean in the next line. Example: "I got a good woman with the meanest dog in town." Blues are simple. After you have the first line right, repeat it. Then find something else that rhymes. Sort of. Example: "Got me a good woman with the meanest dog in town...oh, yeah!..Got me a good woman with the meanest dog in town. He got teeth like Margaret Thatcher, and he weigh 'bout 500 pound."

Blues cars are Chevys, Cadillacs, and broke down trucks circa 1957. Other acceptable Blues transportation are a Greyhound bus or a "southbound train." Note: A BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, mini-van, or sport utility vehicle is NOT a Blues Car."Walkin'" plays a major part in the Blues lifestyle. So does "fixin' to die" and "findin' a good woman."

Teenagers can't sing the Blues. Only adults sing the Blues. Adulthood, when it comes to the Blues, means old enough to get the electric chair if you shoot a man in Memphis. You can have the Blues in New York City or Los Angeles but not in New Haven or Phoenix (Sorry, Rhythm room/Bob Corritore... just part of the story). Hard times in Vermont or North Dakota are just a minor depression. Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City are still the best places to have the Blues (Att: Buddy Guy and Trampled Under Foot). Abilene, Mobile and New Orleans are ok in a pinch. (Ouch, Bryan Lee! just part of the story!)

The following colors do NOT belong in the Blues: antique violet, champagne, mauve, taupe and peach. Blues is not a matter of color. Tiger Woods cannot sing the blues; Sonny Liston, the boxer, can.

You cannot have the Blues in an office building or a shopping mall. The lighting is all wrong. Other bad places for the Blues: Kmart, gallery openings and supermarkets. Good places for the Blues: jail, your mama's back porch, along the highway, bottom of a rot-gut whiskey glass or a solitary room in a fleabag hotel/motel.

No one will believe it is the Blues if you wear a suit (hmm, I liked that look at the IBC in Memphis) or anything by Ralph Lauren.

Do you have the right to sing the Blues? Yes, if: your first name is a southern state. Example: Georgia or if you are blind, you shot a man in Memphis. No, if: you are deaf, anyone in your family drives a Lotus, you have a trust fund. Yanni, Julio Iglesias and Barbara Streisand may not sing the Blues. Ever.

If you ask for water and your baby gives you gasoline, it is the Blues. Other Blues beverages are: malt liquor, Irish whiskey, muddy water, Thunderbird wine or one bourbon, one scotch, and one beer....at the same time. Blues beverages are not: a Mai-Tai, a Chardonnay, a Yoo Hoo (all flavors).

If it occurs in a cheap motel or a shotgun shack, it is a Blues death. Stabbed in the back by a jealous lover is also a Blues way to die. So is the electric chair, substance abuse or being denied treatment in an ER. (Definitely not rated PG13)

Some Blues names for women: Sadie, Louise, Bessie and Baby. Some Blues Names for men: Joe, Willie, Joe Willie, Hank and Po' Boy. Men's names which are NOT Blues names: Geoffry, Damon, Keith (sorry, Damon Fowler...again, just part of a story). Persons with names like Sierra or Sequoia will NOT be permitted to sing the Blues, no matter how many men they shoot in Memphis.

Need a Blues Name? Try this mix and match starter kit: The name of a physical infirmity (blind, asthmatic, etc.) or a character flaw (dishonest, Low Down, etc.); substitute the name of a fruit (Lemon, Fig, Persimmon); or use first and fruit names; finish with the last name of a President (Johnson, Jefferson, Fillmore, etc.)

Need a Blues instrument ? Play one or more of the following and alternate with husky voice riffs: harp, gih-tar, fiddle, sax, pic-anner (in need of tuning).

Now you are ready to sing the Blues!...Unless you own a computer. (This came across my desk awhile ago. Every time I take it out, I get a good laugh. It is a story from days gone by...I hope that you found the humor in it and how they put the blues in their songs!)

~ Jonnye Weber

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2011-07-18T21:24:00.005-04:00

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Blues Day Out - Picnic Alert!!

2011-07-18T21:21:00.001-04:00

CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW FULL SIZE POSTER

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How did you get your blues?

2011-07-18T21:17:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I drove many miles from the Charlie West Fest to attend the Tornado Relief Benefit that was held at Moondog's. If you were not there, you missed one great show! Pittsburgh has a wealth of talent and the generosity of those players is unbelievable. The added treasure is when you bring the players together on a day like that and watch them interact with other players on stage. Whew! It is something to behold! Players roamed in and players roamed out. Again, it was a wonderful array of music for the blues fans that turned out.

Mid afternoon, I looked up and standing in the doorway was Craig King. His smiling face and melodic voice filled the room, you knew that you were in for a treat! Craig, without his band, took to the stage and began to work his magic with his friends who were also donating their time that day. I heard Craig laugh as he threw back his head...and wow, I was blindsided. The Thrill is Gone .....a BB King tune...was done to perfection....Craig King style. His rendition, always wonderful, would have had BB King standing and asking for more.

The sound was sweet. Craig played it with such feeling and depth...it took me back to the first time that I heard that song. My thoughts drifted back to a time almost thirty years ago. I had been whisked away from my day job to go to see some guy named BB King at the Stanley Theater (now the Benedum). It had been a long day and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. My hotel's general manager, a man who loved music and followed it around the world in his travels, assured me that I would love it. Skeptical, I went along for the ride...not wanting to miss out on it ...if it proved to be good. Sitting there in the balcony, I was caught up in the BB King craze. True, it was thirty years ago....but it was just like yesterday. The mood, the flavor and the energy that permeated the theater. The fans were "over-the-top"! Women, dressed to kill with "steppin out dresses and exotic hats" and myself in jeans and t-shirt, were 'swooning' and begging for more. BB King, a man who seemed larger than life, stood center stage. He sang. He played. He worked the crowd, throwing out seductive quips, playfully toying with the enthralled audience. The more he gave, the more they wanted. Several fans almost fell over the balcony in their zest to get the most out of the evening. There I was...just a girl from the burbs, an interloper ...listening, watching and soaking up the evening.

Then....he told his Lucille story....and he started playing...The Thrill is Gone. Wow, talk about being blown away. The audience went crazy. I hung on every sweet note, every move, every word that oozed so slowly and rhythmically from BB King. I was not a blues fan before but at that moment...I knew that something sensational was happening. That feeling...that wonderful, powerful feeling that BB created when he melded with his guitar....it was THE moment when I finally understood the blues.

I drifted back to Craig King...it too was a wonderful moment in time! How did you get your blues? Where were you when you understood the blues? What song, what player, what concert made the blues come alive for you? Thank you Craig for your wonderful talent and the easy way that you deliver the "moment" to your fans. Thanks for taking me back to a point in time that had such bittersweet, powerful memories.

~ Jonnye Weber

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2011-07-18T21:15:00.000-04:00

Thank you from Foundation to Fight Blindness

2011-07-18T21:08:00.002-04:00

The following is a thank you letter from Mark, Cindy, Tony and Wesley Taliani to the BSWPA:

I just want to take a few minutes to express our gratitude and appreciation to the entire Blues Society of Western PA. We can't begin to thank you enough for your involvement with the Foundation Fighting Blindness(FFB). I'm overwhelmed by the support from the entire group.

As you may know, my family's involvement with FFB is a personal story. My son Tony has been legally blind since he was 13. After you deal with the horror of blindness, you decide you want to do something, anything to fight back. That's how we got involved with FFB. The Vision Walk, which was what our benefit supported, is the biggest fund raiser we do. Our family is the Chair Family at the event and we get to meet so many wonderful and dedicated people. Now, I'm so pleased to be able to include many of you as our friends.

Well, for the record we made $1147 for the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Someone asked me if I thought it was successful. Let me say it this way. Last year our team raised $4000 .........in the whole YEAR. We raised a quarter of that in one day. I think that is Outstanding.

I truly hope we can do this again next year, so keep us in your thoughts. Working together, I know we can make our benefit event bigger and better every year!

Warm Regards,
Mark, Cindy, Tony and Wesley Taliani
Foundation Fighting Blindness
Pittsburgh Chapter

MUSICIAN’S CORNER - Find out about the local bands

2011-07-18T20:57:00.002-04:00

Look who will be at our upcoming picnic on Sunday, Sept. 4.

Bubs McKeg
Singer/composer/guitarist Bubs McKeg has recorded for Atlantic, Buddah, and Phantom Records. In 2007 he was a finalist at the Puisto Blues Festival’s International Blues songwriting competition in Jarvenpaa, Finland. Bubs is a two time winner of Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania's IBC's. Mckeg was a finalist in the 2009 Internations Blues Challenge in Memphis.

Chris Nacy
Chris Nacy is a killer, on the money, harp player. There are plenty of licks to learn from Chris. He never overplays, lays that great harp right in there, and obviously has done his homework listening to the greats. Not too loud, not a ton of reverb and octave stuff, just harp. Chris is an official endorser for Seydel Harmonicas (http://www.seydelusa.com/) His work as an integral part of the Izzy and Chris duo has won them trips to Memphis, recordings contracts and many nods for festivals around the country.

Midnight Express
Midnight Express Midnight Express was formed in 2009 when four like minded, seasoned musicians came together to create a unique Pittsburgh Blues sound. A fusion of styles ranging from East Coast Jazz, Funk to Chicago Blues makes up their unique sound. Midnight Express' members include: George Kalantzis, (guitar, vocals) originally from Chicago, immersed himself in the Pittsburgh music scene in 2001. His multiple influences reflect the many colors and textures that the Blues has to offer. John DeCola (keyboards), a veteran of the Pittsburgh music scene, started playing professionally at age 13. John's playing reflects his years of ardent, dedicated playing and he brings a fire to Midnight Express. Jim Spears (bass) grew up with music always on the radio or "hi-fi." It was a snooping 16-year old Jimmie that found an abandoned Silvertone acoustic guitar in a closet. That discovery lit a spark that led Jim into a life-long love of making music. Mark Chemini (Drums) has been playing drums for over 35 years and is a self taught musician.

Rumpshakers
The Rumpshakers are a band of musicians from the Tri-State area. Each with over twenty-five years experience playing blues, jazz, and rock. With many influences from early blues players to modern jazz, and soul. So, if you’re looking for a foot stomping, rump shaking, good time, come out and listen to The Rumpshakers play Blues and Soul to make you shake rattle and roll. Members of the band are: Ron "Lucky" Vis on guitar/vocals, Keith "Fingers" Gamble on bass, Joe Romeo on sax, Greg Eggert on trumpet and Greg Stewart on drums.

Wayne and Wild Root
Mention great blues cities to most people and they likely think of Chicago, Memphis, St. Louis or New Orleans...maybe even Clarksdale, Mississippi. But for James Dougherty, that city is Pittsburgh.

“When I began putting this project together, I wanted to dive into the blues and jazz roots in the Pittsburgh area,” says Dougherty, who enlisted renowned engineer Buddy Hall to produce Wayne & Wildroot: One Hell of a Ride (Release date: Sept. 21). “Organizing the players for the Wayne and Wildroot project gave me an opportunity to once again familiarize myself with Pittsburgh’s deep pool of talent."

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2011-07-18T20:52:00.000-04:00

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CD REVIEW - Shiver

2011-07-18T20:46:00.000-04:00

By Too Slim and The Taildraggers

I had heard of, but never heard "Too Slim and the Taildraggers." The chance to review and hear "Shiver" was a welcome opportunity. Tim Langford (Too Slim) has been around for 25 years and this is his 16th CD. Also in the trio are drummer Tommy Cook and new bass player Polly O'Keary. I looked at his schedule to see if I could catch him somewhere close, but he seems to be only touring on the West coast. First, the music is very good -catchy tunes and tasty guitar licks. Second-the lyrics are pretty intense, not your every day stories, I'll tell you that. Here are some examples. First from the initial song "Stoned Again"-the devil drinks his whiskey and Jesus drinks his wine. One is a sinner- the other is divine-now tell me what's the difference when both of them are getting high". The second song, "Daddy's Bones," deals with a chilling subject. It is about a man who was rumored to have 'snitched' on big-time criminals , and was killed and thrown in the swamp. The story is a plea from the son to find his bones and save the farm. Whew! On a different side is "Workin." This is a protest on what the government is doing to the working man. "We the people bailed out your ass, maybe oughta think-about giving some back "People everywhere just wanna get workin', cheap talkin words don't pay the bills."

Some of my favorite tunes are the title tune, "Shiver," with a great lead guitar by Too Slim's son,

Austin Elwood, while Dad plays rhythm guitar. They sound great together! Another favorite tune is "As the Tears Go By," with a Stevie Ray sound on guitar. This CD left me with a few questions. Why did it take me so long to hear this guy? Will I ever get a chance to see him perform live? Where are all the other 15 CDs I haven't heard?

Let me end with this...when I review CD's, I try to listen at least 3 times. This hint came from Jim Weber. It sometimes is difficult to muddle through the CDs I get even twice. I think I listened to "SHIVER" at least 25 times, and will again and again. You should try at least once.

~ Don Vecchio

CD REVIEW - MoJo Theory II

2011-07-18T20:44:00.001-04:00

by Mojo Theory

This band finished in the top ten at the 210 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. After the IBC, the Blues Review magazine commented that the soulful voice of Mark Richards on "Lay My Burden Down" was the best song of the finals evening (this particular song was from their first CD). Comments were made that with their stage presence, they belonged on a New York Broadway stage.

This second CD, MoJo Theory II, is self-produced and brings to the forefront every talent in this band. All songs are written or co-written by members of the band. This CD will take you to all realms of the Blues world. Let the music take you where you want to go and enjoy every song on the CD.

~ Miss Ella - Sister to the Blues

CD REVIEW - Patrick McLaughlin

2011-07-18T20:40:00.001-04:00

This is a self-titled debut for a young man who has been a well-known Blues artist in the Columbus, Ohio area for some time. Patrick McLaughlin's music has been influenced by the history of the Blues and people who believed in his love of the genre. When you see him on stage he makes his guitar sing to you. He bends that guitar to his style- it has no choice. My husband's favorite song of Patrick's is "Which Way to Go." When he hears the song he sings it for me at home for hours! Patrick's voice will take you on a journey that you will want to follow. The CD brings along friends and family who believe in his talent and who are there for him.

~ Miss Ella, Sister of the Blues.

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2011-07-18T20:39:00.001-04:00

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2011-07-18T20:38:00.001-04:00

COMICS

2011-07-18T20:37:00.002-04:00

Blues Goes to School

2011-04-04T21:56:00.000-04:00

Avonworth High School held their third annual Multicultural Dinner & Festival March 19, 2011. The festival was designed to celebrate diversity and expose the Avonworth school community to other cultures. Food from various countries was prepared, including Italian, Irish, Asian, and Middle Eastern fair. There were student displays and presentations, and the evening was capped off with entertainment from three diverse acts with local bluesman Eugene Morgan headlining the event.

After short performances from the Bell Irish Dancers and the Oriental Dance School, Eugene took the stage with his amp and two guitars. For the next 45 minutes, Mr. Morgan took the audience through the history of the blues to play blues standards from the fields of the Delta to the electric Chicago blues. He went back and forth from his Stratocaster and a dobro and growled a Blind Lemon Jefferson song to kick off the evening. Songs in the set including Robert Johnson's "Sweet Home Chicago," Willie Dixon's "Little Red Rooster," Muddy Waters inspired "Got My Mojo Working," and Elmore James's "Dust My Broom." Eugene ended the evening with a soulful touching rendition of the Lead Belly inspired "Good Night Irene." Eugene Morgan was well received by the Avonworth crowd and had people on their feet wanting more.

~Ken Lockette, Principal Avonworth

Words of from lessons learned:

2011-04-04T21:55:00.000-04:00

....turn the volume down and listen to one another. By doing that, you can begin to play for the song, and not just play your instrument with no regard to what everyone else is doing. It takes practice and confidence, and once you see it happen, things start to click. ~said by a local guitarist

In Memory of Gary Moore ~ 1952-2011...Rest in Peace

2011-04-04T21:54:00.000-04:00

Lots of guitarists play Les Pauls, but not too many have played Peter Green’s Les Paul. That is part of the mystique left behind by the passing of Gary Moore. Although best known for his three stints with the hard-rocking, Thin Lizzy; Gary Moore was a master of other styles, too – folk, jazz, country, and the blues. As a boy in Ireland, the Beatles and Elvis were his early inspirations. After seeing concerts by Jimi Hendrix and John Mayall, there was no stopping the blues-rock sound that would come to define his playing.

When Gary was only sixteen, Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green became his mentor in Dublin. Peter wanted Gary to have his very own 1959 Les Paul Standard, and that axe would come to be the primary guitar throughout Moore’s career. Gary would, of course, play that guitar in 1995 when recording “Blues for Greeny,” a heart-felt homage to his old friend.

Prior to this project, Moore had dived into the blues in a big way. Both Albert King and Albert Collins were guests on “Still Got The Blues,” a commercially successful mix of old standards and original blues. BB King showed up on the follow-up, “After Hours,” and Gary Moore’s spellbinding guitar and blues music was being praised by peers and cherished by the public. The live album “Blues Alive,” showcased what concert-goers were experiencing, and what stay-at-home blues fans were missing Now, to understate the obvious, Gary Moore was a very good guitar player. Aggressive and expressive, he never felt he was a master of technique, but rather, feel. When you are as good as he was, people like Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker let you play in their power trio. (insert comparison to Clapton here.) The pseudo-Cream, better known as BBM, recorded one album before personal conflicts killed the project. That’ll give you the blues, so Moore returned to his roots.

Moore always claimed that he played the blues from a rock standpoint. His fiery style could take each blues lick to another level. That’s why many blues lovers looked forward to releases like “Back To The Blues,” “Power Of The Blues,” “Old, New, Ballads, Blues,” and “Bad For You Baby.” That’s why Def Lepperd’s Vivian Campbell, Whitesnake’s John Sykes, Ozzy Osbourne’s Randy Rhodes and Zakk Wylde, and blues sensation Joe Bonamassa all count him as a vital influence. That is why it’s a damn shame he isn’t around anymore.

So, music and the blues march on. Luckily, Gary Moore left behind a worthy collection of solo releases along with notable contributions to Thin Lizzy, BBM, Colosseum II, and a diverse collection of artists including the Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, Jim Capaldi, Rod Argent, Ozzy Osbourne, George Harrison, and Andrew Lloyd Webber. I wish I could play some Gary Moore right now. Well I can, and will, and so can you. Just type this [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6oDdgrbmeE] in your browser and enjoy Mr. Moore (with Albert King). We don’t have Gary any mo(o)re, but we “still got the blues!”

~ Jim Capp

2011 BSWPA BLUES CHALLENGE

2011-04-04T21:53:00.000-04:00

A Message from the Blues Foundation

2011-04-04T21:50:00.001-04:00

A Message from the Blues Foundation about the 2011 International Blues Challenge

"To paraphrase Woodstock farmer Max Yasgur, 'You people have proven to the world, that 220 acts can get together and have five days of fun and music and nothing but fun and music.'" So many of you told me on the street or in an e-mail since what a wonderful event the IBC is and how much you got out of it and how much you enjoyed everything. Yes, the IBC is a competition and someone "wins" the title, but its true value is as a vehicle to bring us all together to share our love for blues music and all it entails. And being a blues musician or blues fan says more about us than just our taste in music. Thank you for giving so many people one of the greatest weeks of their lives."

~Jay Sieleman, Executive Director

Ron Yarosz/ Gary Prisby-our 2011 Memphis IBC Experience

2011-04-04T21:49:00.000-04:00

Our 2011 Memphis IBC Experience

During the 1st week of February 2011 local acts Gary Prisby (acoustic) and Ron Yarosz and the Vehicle represented the BSWPA in the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge in Memphis. While neither emerged as a winner in the competition, which features over 220 acts from all over the world, each came found the experience to be rewarding and enriching nonetheless. I asked Ron and Gary about their experience in Memphis. Here is what they had to say:

What are the things that you will always remember about your experience in Memphis at the IBC? How were the crowds/venues? Did you get to know any of the other participants?

Gary: The thing I’ll remember was the crowd’s true appreciation for blues music. That was refreshing and harder to come by in Pittsburgh. The crowd in my venue was enthusiastic and I actually got a few followers to come back the 2nd night to watch me perform again. I met a few other acts who shared the same desire for playing live music and that was evident in their performance.

Ron: The BBQ (just kidding). I will always remember how many blues fans were there from all over the world. Everyone who was there came to support their bands and to see other bands. There were close to 200 acts down there and most everyone that you met was nice and very down to earth. We were all “in it together” and everyone was supportive. The crowds were excellent! Although it is impossible to see everything, most people bounced around from venue to venue and the bigger venues obviously had more people. Some venues were better than others. We were lucky/unlucky to be in Club 152. Lucky because it was a great venue, but unlucky because we were up against some great bands. The stage manager told me that he had seen 15 IBC’s and he had never seen so many talented bands in one venue at the same time, including the Finals. We did get to meet and spend some time with quite a few of the other participants. Everyone was complimentary. There were open jams everywhere, but they were tough to get in on because there were so many people. Each venue had music for at least 5 hours per day so the days were very long. There wasn’t a whole lot of opportunity to talk during the actual competition because everyone was sort of getting their “game faces” on so to speak.

What were the things that you’ve learned from your participation in the IBC? What would you do differently?

Gary: Let’s just say you can’t always get what you want. I wouldn’t change anything next time.

Ron: What we learned from the IBC is to be true to yourself. You can’t change your act to what you think the judges may like. Do your own thing. You never know what the judges may like, although it’s obvious if you’re “posing”. If you are genuinely enjoying yourself, everybody can see that. Also we’ve learned the importance of presentation. Dress the part, it goes a long way down there. I don’t think we’d do anything differently if we were to get another opportunity with the exception of maybe checking the backline equipment a little better. We had some equipment issues that threw us off a little on the 1st night. But other than that we wouldn’t change a thing.

Did you get to “rub elbows” with any famous musicians or personalities at the IBC? If so, what advice were they able to give you that you feel will be valuable in your music career?

Gary: I didn’t really get to stay out or mingle as much as I would have liked. So I really didn’t meet anyone.

Ron: We did get to rub elbows with a few people. I got to meet Lee Oskar and chat with him for a while. I gave him a CD and then e-mailed him a few weeks later. Lo and behold, he called me on the phone! He had some advice for me and basically told me to help broaden my horizons on the harmonica. I’m supposed to call him again this week so I’ll get back to you on the rest.

Which of the other acts or bands in the IBC impressed you or stood out? Why?

Gary: George Schroeter and Marc Breitfelder (the IBC winners) obviously impressed me. Grant Sabin, a 22 year old from Colorado was someone else I really enjoyed. Some of the semi-finalists on Friday night also stood out. I don’t know how they made it through…just sayin’.

Ron: The Lionel Young Band was really impressive. They ended up winning the whole thing. Unfortunately for us, we had to compete against them in our venue in the quarter finals so they helped to eliminate us. They were deserving of the win. Lionel played dobro and electric violin (blues style). He also had a trumpet player, sax, a killer piano/organ player, and to top it all off they did a 7 part harmony accapella song to end their set. It was very impressive! Lionel also won the solo/duo competition 2 years ago and is now the only repeat winner in the history of the IBC. The Shaun Booker band was also great. She is a powerful vocalist who took command of the room and is backed by a great band.

Has your participation in the IBC resulted in networking or booking opportunities for you? Were you approached by representatives of other festivals/venues etc. while in Memphis?

Gary: I wasn’t able to hang out as much as I probably needed to. Therefore, I wasn’t able to make many contacts. I feel this is one of the many areas in which the Blues Foundation falls short. I am sure these reps don’t want to be hounded by musicians all week. If they see an act they are interested in, I’m sure they would approach them. But it’s impossible to see every single act in the IBC. The Blues Foundation could set up a “Meet and greet” for the participants in order to give them a shot at presenting themselves. It would benefit the participants and the venue/festival organizers. But I think that my participation in the IBC looks great on my resume’ in regard to obtaining bookings locally.

Ron: We did get some networking opportunities from the IBC. We didn’t get any gigs out of it, but that may change. We see it as planting a seed and getting our name out there. I gave CD’s to all of the judges after the night was over and a great percentage of them have their own radio shows. So I am now on the air in Poland, Prague, Czechoslovakia, Boston and many other places. One of the judges rated us #1 in our venue, even over the eventual winner. So you never know how it’s going to go. I did open a dialogue with a booking agency as well which may develop into something. Most everyone down there is from a blues society somewhere and we had dozens of people stop us on the street who told us we were great and should have made the semi-finals. And I did sell a few CD’s. We felt that on the 2nd night we played one of our best sets ever. We were told by some Blues Foundation staff that we were on the “Top 5 buzz list” out of 110 bands, so that’s great to hear. The exposure is great!

The BSWPA Blues Challenge is being held on April 9, 2011 at the Clarion Hotel in Pittsburgh. What advice would you give to the participants in the Challenge that will help them make it to Memphis and would encourage them to strive to win the competition? What advice would you give to the winning acts that earn an opportunity to participate in the 2012 IBC?

Gary: Polish your act. Play your brand of blues, whatever the style. Be true to yourself and to your music and enjoy yourself.

Ron: Tighten your set, showcase as much of the talent in your band as you can. Dress for the occasion and have fun! They say that you aren’t competing against the other bands, you’re playing for the judges. I believe that whole heartedly. The whole room may love you but it may not reflect on the judges scores or vice versa. You can’t reinvent the wheel, have fun and do your thing. Play as much original material as possible and let it all hang out. I would give the same advice to any act going to the IBC in Memphis. But try to get as many supporters of your band as you can to go to Memphis with you. Get your logistical stuff (room/transportation) out of the way early and bring lots of CD’s and business cards. I must have handed out 100 business cards and gave away a few dozen CD’s. Take advantage of the opportunity to network!!! Regardless of how you do in the competition you are in the best networking environment for the blues. Live it up and take advantage of it!! And don’t forget the soul food. The local recommend Central BBQ and Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, both of which are within walking distance of Beale Street. I ate it for breakfast twice!

Thank you to both Gary and Ron for their candid responses to my interview questions. It is always a pleasure for me to talk with my brothers and sisters in the blues!!

~ Jim Franciscus

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2011-04-04T21:43:00.000-04:00

IBC Insiders...The BSWPA Interviews Sean Carney

2011-04-04T21:42:00.000-04:00

When you visit the Blues Foundation website for some general information on the next IBC (http://www.blues.org/ibc), you might begin to ponder the origin of this blues phenomenon on Beale Street, 777 miles away. I did. So, I clicked on "IBC History." I was directed to an article by Steven Campbell, published in the July 2008 issue of the Memphis Downtowner. Here is a quote from that article… The camaraderie of the musicians, the musical heritage of Memphis, and the appreciation of the genre by fans the world over is why The Blues Foundation first decided to hold a competition in 1985 to find the best unsigned blues bands, soloists, and duos on the planet. Next to these words is a photo by Dusty Scott; it's a Technicolor, in-your-face personification of the genre. It's Sean Carney.

The Sean Carney Band was 2007's IBC First Prize winner for Best Band. Sean, himself, won the Albert King Award for Best Guitarist. Who was the "Best Dressed" contestant? Sean Carney. Sean is also a pretty nice guy. Nice enough to share some insights with BSWPA and our IBC hopefuls for 2012!

Blues Society: Can you tell us what is was like entering your local blues competition in Columbus? (How many times did you enter/win/go to Memphis IBC?)

SEAN: 2007 was actually my third time at the IBC in Memphis. In 2003 and 2005 I went as guitar player for Teeny Tucker. Interesting… both times we made it to the finals; also I was nominated each time for the Albert King Award. The first time, it was exciting to be there! The second time, I have to say, it was a letdown not to win. For 2007, Teeny was taking time off. I entered as The Sean Carney Band; with bass player Steve Perakis, and Eric Blume on drums. We competed with about a dozen other bands in Columbus. We did it on a whim; just to have fun. ('Hardly fazed by, "Hey! You've gone from a six piece band to a three piece! No sax, no piano, and they had a better singer than you!")

BS: When you headed for Beale Street in 2007, you were not inexperienced. You had already been on the road many times, hosted a radio show, and worked/played on over a dozen CDs, while being very involved in the Columbus blues community. Was there much preparation necessary for you and the band during the months leading to your Memphis gig? How did you choose which songs to perform for your timed sets?
SEAN: By the way, for reference, here is the IBC judging criteria list: 1) Blues Content, 2) Vocal Skills, 3) Instrumental Skills, 4) Originality, 5) Stage Presence. …Once we digested the fact that we were going to Memphis, we got a serious game together, and we practiced. A lot. See #4 on the list: "Originality". I consider that to mean "original material." We played our own tunes. On stage, I made a point to say that. "We're playing all original music by The Sean Carney Band."

BS: What inspired that snazzy leopard trimmed jacket you wore? (Did you have it made for the IBC, or was it already your lucky coat? (Should contestants give more thought to wardrobe?)
SEAN: The jacket was a gift from a friend in Paris, Renee Malines. He gave it to me in the summer of 2006. He said, "I don't know anyone else who would wear this!" I wondered, "When could I possibly wear it??" I took it with me to Memphis. "If we make finals, I wear the jacket!" I think that comes under #5… "Stage Presence."

BS: Looks like you did a lot of things right in 2007. What are your suggestions and advisories for first time participants?
SEAN: Many bands come out playing loud and hard. Part of our strategy, having been there before... Start: Subtle, slow, mid-tempo tune. (You can see people leaning forward to listen.) Then, a medium shuffle. Third song… something slow and quiet. (This was our defining moment - the judges leaned in.) One more: Fast, loud. … We knew we had won!

BS: You practice cultural sharing that allows music to thrive from one generation to the next. Your jazz musician granddad is no doubt smiling down at you. Last question: What do you understand now, something that you didn't realize before your IBC experience?
SEAN: Really, just the way I value and connect with the band. We have hundreds of gigs under our belt. There is no substitute for years of playing together. I give credit to my bandmates for hanging in there. They are more musically astute than I am. I usually come up with some lyrics for a song, and have the feel of it. Then Eric and Steve put in their touches; they latch on to subtle things I do. It is pretty incredible, after that amount of time together, how ideas gel. I can see it in bands. It's there, or it's not there. The International Blues Challenge is a great opportunity. Any band that enters seriously comes out a better band! Some bands don't even make it to the finals, and get signed. You don't have to make finals to have something good happen to you.
BS: Thanks so much, Sean! 'Looking forward to your new CD, Throwback

Circle C - Walking Away the Children's Blues

2011-04-04T21:38:00.001-04:00

Join the walk for Circle C during the Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community on Saturday, May 21 at 9:00 am. Circle C does work within our community to turn around the lives of at-risk children. They host the annual "Helping the Kids Lose the Blues" Concert. If interested, go to http:/circlec.dojiggy.com/blues to register under the Judy McKeg Team page on behalf of the Blues Society of Western PA.

AD - Valley Hotel

2011-04-04T21:34:00.000-04:00

One Song I've Never Heard Again... (In response to an article in the last issue.)

2011-04-04T21:26:00.000-04:00

It was in the early 70's and my friend, John Elmer, and I (we're still friends playing together as JnK Blues) went to the T-Bone Walker concert at the old Stanley. It was hosted by WZUM DJ, Paul Perry, and there was a pretty good crowd. T-Bone was close to his final days, and I believe passed away within a year.

It was a shaky performance but you could still feel the aura of a great blues master. Unfortunately, the loudest round of applause was for when his back up guitarist broke a string and had to stop playing. He was playing twice as load as T-Bone and sounded exactly like Stevie Ray Vaughn but when Stevie Ray was about 4 or 5 years old.

About the song I've never heard again The opening act was a teenage girl trio. I am presuming they were local, as I didn't recognize their name and I am not a native Pittsburgher. They brought down the house with a song called "Shoot the Man Down." John and I both looked at each other when it was over and simultaneously said, "Wow!" On the way home we talked about "Shoot the Man Down" and how we had to get a copy of t he record if there was one.

That is the last time we heard it. We contacted a number of Pittsburgh music historians over the years but they couldn't help. I got in touch with ZUM DJ, Paul Perry, who thought he still had a poster from the concert but he could not find it. John and I tried to write our own version of the song from what we remembered but those efforts were disastrous. So, we don't know the group's name or if there ever was a recording. And I am still looking for "Shoot the Man Down."

~ Karl Brandt, Mercer, PA

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2011-04-04T21:25:00.000-04:00

Did you know?

2011-04-04T21:22:00.000-04:00

In honor of Women's History Month (March)....The blues goes back a long way and many women added to the blues scene. The following was provided by the Music Maker Relief Foundation, Inc. Music Maker aids the true pioneers and forgotten heroes of Southern music to gain recognition and meet their day-to-day needs. The organization provides those musical traditions to the world so that the American Culture will flourish and be preserved for future generations. (www.musicmaker.org)

Precious Bryant, born in 1942 in Talbot County, Georgia, was a traditional Blues player. Precious declared many times that Music Maker helped the players make their music and minimized their hardships. She stated that "I will always be playing the Blues as long as I live. The Blues tells the TRUTH. Sometimes it be sad, sometimes it be HAPPY-it W0RKS all kind of WAYS." Her lively guitar and rich vocals have been dubbed "musical treasures." She has earned the secure place in American Musical history as George's "Daughter of the Blues." ~Gary Dumm

The Snake Lady, Willa Mae Buckner, 1922-2000, (from Augusta, GA) ran away from home at the age of twelve to join an All Black Tent Show. She later learned to strip, sing bawdy songs, swallow swords and handle snakes. She played many carnival shows in the South in the early days of her career. In 1946 she settled in Spanish Harlem in New York. She studied foreign languages at night school, worked in restaurants and did domestic work. In 1964 she went back into snake handling and joined a traveling sideshow. In 1973 Buckner quit the road and moved to Winston-Salem where she worked as a bus driver. Duffy and Guitar Gabriel met her in 1989 at a drink house. She worked into the Music Maker group and began touring with them. Eventually, she played Carnegie Hall. She was known for the line, "I didn't learn anything, but at least I SAW something."~Harvey Pekar

Beverly "Guitar" Watkins was born in 1939 in Atlanta, GA to a gospel beat. Her musical talents were attributed to the musical influences of her grandfather's porch banjo and the Hayes' Sisters (her aunts). By 1958 she was playing rhythm guitar and bass with Billy West Stone and the Downbeats Blues/Jazz Group. Through the years and a succession of odd jobs, she spent her weekends playing guitar. After meeting Piano Red, Beverly joined a Blues Outfit that gained fame as "Dr. Feelgood and the Interns" in the early '60s. The Beatles "dug" songs of theirs like "Right String but the Wrong Yo-Yo." It has been said that Beverly not only rocked, but sang the Blues and played lead guitar like a man. ~Gary Dumm

Cora Mae Bryant, born in 1926, was the daughter of Georgia guitar legend, Curley Weaver. In her youth, she traveled the Blues back roads with her father, playing at house parties and fish fries. She met up with Buddy Moss and Blind Willie McTell, guitarists extraordinaire. Someone once said of Cora's music..."Boy, some music goin' on and you couldn't hear nothin' on the floor but shoe heels hittin' the floor, folks be just a dancin', havin' a good time. Cora, herself, declared, "I don't write songs. When they come to me, I already know 'em. I get no pencil and write 'em. I write 'em in my head." Hitting her stride, Cora Mae hoboed around the South getting on the Blues and off Moonshine. There is a Blues "Museum" in her home. It is a fountain of blues knowledge for researchers (she knows hundreds of old songs). ~Gary Dumm

There are many notable female players from the past. This was just a sampling. Their lives were interesting and involved.

And the winner of the 2010 BSWPA signed blues guitar...

2011-04-04T21:11:00.000-04:00

The blues revelers were gathered at the Clarion Hotel on December 31, 2010 listening to the sounds of the Craig King Band and the Mikey, Jr. Band, waiting to ring in the new year. They were also waiting for the annual drawing for the Blues Society of Western PA signed guitar. The contents of the raffle jar held hundreds and hundreds of tickets. The crowd eagerly awaited the big finale. The tickets were ceremoniously poured into a massive bowl and then mixed and tossed to the delight of the blues fans. The lovely blues fan from Ohio (in the Delcotto party) was asked to draw the winning ticket. Jimmy Alder ceremoniously read the winning name on the drawn ticket....and the lucky winner .... was Paul Markgraf. When told of his winning the blues guitar, the happy winner said that he had been our first sale last summer at the Blues tent at the Pittsburgh Blues Festival. Congratulations to Paul.

All is not lost! We now have a gleaming, cream guitar that has been acquiring signatures for the 2011 New Year's Eve raffle. So far, that beautiful, sleek Fender Squire Stratocaster is sporting the signatures of: Jimmy Thackery, Bernard Allison, Super Chikan, Tab Benoit, Laurie Morvan, Ana Popovic, John Hammond, John Mayall and Duke Robillard. Not a bad start for the new year. ~Jonnye Weber, President

Talking with Michael Burks

2011-04-04T21:10:00.000-04:00

The Michael Burks website states: Guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Michael "Iron Man" Burks stands tall as a major contemporary blues figure. With a nickname earned by his hours-long, intensely physical performances, fearsome guitar attack, tough, smoky vocals and the thousands of miles logged behind the wheel of his touring van, Burks is a modern blues hero. Nobody in today's blues world successfully bridges searing electric guitar blues with unbridled rock and roll energy like Burks. Chicago Sun-Times stated: Michael Burks is a flamethrower guitarist. He is the complete bluesman, songwriter, singer, riff-master, bandleader, and showman...Savage fury and heartfelt tenderness."

The following is a little of what Michael shared in a recent interview.

Jonnye: It has been said that you started playing at 6 years old and that your dad would give you a 45 rpm to listen to while he was as work. If you had learned to play that tune by the time he returned home, you would get $1. During our talk on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise, you mentioned that you gave a Blues in the School program in Belgium. You had sent the students to Google a blues song. What was that song? What do you do to nurture the next generation of musicians?

Michael: (chuckling) I asked the students who they liked as an artist. Three females said Beyonce. I said, "Y'all like Beyonce, then you like the blues." They had blank looks on their faces...they did not believe that Beyounce sang Blues. They said they did not like blues. I asked what song of hers did they like. They said "At Last." I sent them to the computer to find out that "At Last" was a Blues song and that Etta James, a blues woman, wrote it. (Quietly) Blues gets around to everyone if you get a chance to be open minded and listen. (Seriously) People say they don't like Blues. Surprisingly, I told them that you listen to Blues all the time and just don't know it. When I left that day, the students had a better outlook on Blues. (In a serious and determined voice) As far as helping the children, I try to get them to play different instruments. I would rather help them to try those then trying guns, the bottle, drugs and running in the streets. (When asked if I could quote him on that, he said definitely!) It would be better for children playing instruments in their rooms and disturbing their parents than seeing them behind bars. Of all the things that you can do in life, you have to invest in your children to keep them out of trouble.

J: On the Blues Cruise, you seemed to be everywhere, jamming with everyone. Did the Blues Cruise challenge you or just wear you down? What did you take away from working with your fellow musicians? Did you have fun or was it like working a real job? What was the most memorable thing or event that you took with you when you left the boat?

M: (Chuckling again) I enjoyed myself. I was challenged by the music and the people. I was worn down but it was a lot of fun. There is not enough time. (Emphatically) It was a HAPPY tired. It was a joyful time. Blues fans are different from other music fans...they are family. I am not one to sit in my hotel room and I am not outspoken. I love the people and being there was a great experience. I spent a lot of time playing, having dinner and just talking with the blues people...my family. On the cruise...in one week you meet the same amount of people that you do in six months of touring. Again, it was a joyful experience to play. There were so many moments- enjoying the music and seeing different musicians that I don't get to see since we are all on the road touring. The fans are my friends. It is overwhelming. There is so much love out there. The blues crowd is such a different audience. They support the artists. The Blues is such a small part of the market. It is the diehard Blues fans that keep the artists working. The Pro Jams were a lot of fun (sighing)... with Ronnie, Taj, Estrin and the rest of the musicians.

J: Everyone on the boat was talking of your great cooking. Your looked terrific in your crisp chef's coat. What is your cooking claim to fame. Is that a sideline business or a hobby? I know that your family had a juke joint in your early years of performing. Does the cooking come from those days or is it another way to express yourself creatively. Do you have a favorite recipe that you would want to share?

M: (Quietly...and then laughing and answering with great zest) It is a hobby. I have been around good cooks all of my life. I don't know doodley squat about a lot of finer foods but I do know a lot about just plain good cooking. My family had several food places. We did a BBQ House that smoked meat. "Brother Howard" (never knew his real name) lived next door and weighed about 400 pounds. I would watch him prepare, season and marinate. He didn't use sauces. He had a "mopping sauce." The marinade would be basted on the meat. You did not need any sauce. You just mopped up the juices. The meat was always perfectly flavored and good. You would have ruined it with BBQ sauce. Hmm....my favorite recipe is ....Cajun Style Grilled Bacon Wrapped Shrimp.

You peel jumbo shrimp and then wrap the shrimp with bacon. You secure it with a toothpick. I use two seasonings/rubs - from Butt Rub (butt rub.com) and Slap your Mama (Slap your Mama.com). I then use A1 Cajun flavored marinade. I pour that over the shrimp. (or, if you prefer, you can put in a Tupperware bowl and shake). Then you grill the shrimp and get ready for some good eating. (It was lunch time and I sure was getting hungry! I could picture those shrimp sizzling on the grill!)

J: I saw you for the first time at the Tampa Bay Blues Festival. (I was relatively new to the blues scene.) You were out mingling with the people in the blazing sun long before you were to go on stage. My partner in crime (an avid blues fan) said to watch you and that you were the type of player to get to know...because you bonded with the people before, during and after a performance. In the middle of a very intense, well received gig, you went into the audience. The blues fans were "slayed" by your sizzling and powerful mix of guitar playing and vocals. When your performance was over, you came out into the crowd and stood watching the show. You turned into a "regular" blues fan and melded into the audience. You smiled and chatted but you were still listening to the music with a keen awareness. You did the same on the cruise. You make yourself "accessible" to the fans..is that to keep your music and your life real?

M: I am just being ME(emphatically). I like to see how the fans enjoy. I like to thank them for coming out and for their support for me and the other bands. I like to check out the bands to see their shows. I check the sound systems and see how good the sound man is. Blues people are friendly....just like a big family.

Michael shared a story about a couple who always came out to his shows. He was ill and on oxygen. His wife had tears in her eyes...saying that he had to come out because he was afraid that he would not see MB again. He had a hospice nurse help him to come out one last time. He was also a Blues cruiser. The next time that he saw the wife, her husband was no longer with her. They had tickets to go on the blues cruise...she gave them to someone who wanted to go on the cruise but could not afford it. MB said that the wife said that is what he would have wanted. Michael (seriously and slowly)...That is the blues fans that I am talking about. That man didn't just support the blues (he went out to see many artists), he endorsed the blues!

In closing, Michael said that he appreciated the people who still found the time and the money to come out and support the Blues for himself and for the other artists. Michael added..."I think that's great!

~Thanks Michael Burks for the kind words when we talked on the cruise. Thank you for the kind smiles even though you were bone tired. Thank you for the much needed hug.

~Jonnye Weber

WE NEED YOUR HELP

2011-04-04T21:06:00.000-04:00

We need you, the blues fan/member...We will be having the nomination of officers and board members in a few short months for the upcoming election in June. As a governing group, we have a meeting once every four to six weeks to organize and plan projects. We need your help to make these projects successful and to keep the music alive while doing so. If you would like run for an officer position or be considered for a board member position, please submit your name to bswpa.org or call: 724-378-8926. If you have more questions about what is expected of an officer or board member, please call with your inquiries. We look forward to your input and your help.

Feedback from the School of the Blind

2011-04-04T21:03:00.000-04:00

Blues in the Schools: “Bubs McKeg & Dr. Blue" was a new performance to the school – excellent! The students and staff really enjoyed the music and singing. Very bluesy but done in such a unique way. It was very relaxing, almost therapeutic! Both performers were very nice.”~ School of the Blind

ADVERTISE WITH US

2011-04-04T21:02:00.002-04:00

The WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA BLUES SOCIETY

is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization and affiliated member of the

Blues Foundation

Annual membership is $20, and includes a year’s subscription to the BSWPA Newsletter, discount

on merchandise and events.

Visit us on the web at:

www.bswpa.org

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Please contact us with your new address. The post office does not forward bulk mail.

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2011-04-04T21:01:00.001-04:00

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CD Review - Kirsten Thien

2011-04-04T21:01:00.000-04:00

Delicious
Screen Door Records SDR 0002

Delicious will satisfy your craving for songs that are sweet and sultry. Singer Kirsten Thien has a soulful voice that blends well with the Stax-like horns, organ, and subtle clean guitar tones that accompany her vocals throughout the CD. On the opening track, “Love That’s Made to Share,” guitarist Arthur Nielson provides tasteful solos along with the legendary Hubert Sumlin. Yet the standout to this toe-tapping groove may be the conviction of Thien’s voice. Later, Thien’s come-hither voice blends well with Sumlin’s distinctive touch on the sultry “Please Drive.” In the title track, Thien exudes sexuality when she reminds us that “Eve [tempted] Adam with an apple” but it is “your love that is so delicious” to me.

Thien has surrounded herself with seasoned players, like Neilson, who may be best known as the guitarist with Shemekia Copeland’s band. The CD also features the complementary guitar of Dave Patterson and solid rhythm section of the band, glued together by Tommy Mandel’s organ and keyboard. The subtle flavors of the horns add to the overall Memphis sound.

A down-home acoustic take on Ida Cox’s “Wild Women…” reveals a carefree and relaxed vocal, with guest Billy Gibson’s tasteful harmonica adding authenticity to Thien’s passionate playfulness. Throughout the CD, the magnetism of Thien’s voice is the perfect foil for Neilson’s guitar. Bassist and producer Erik Boyd provides strong direction and the result is a pleasing mix of soulful sounds, sultry ballads, and funky flavors. Thien is also credited for having written or co-written 8 of the 11 songs. Delicious offers a strong female voice that leans more towards the side of soulful balladry than traditional blues, but, along with the backing of a fine band, Thien’s is a soulful and sultry voice that is sure to whet your appetite for more. ~ Jimmy Adler

CD Review - Sean Carney Band

2011-04-04T21:00:00.000-04:00

Live Blues On Whyte

I am honored to do this CD review. I wondered what I could say about this great band that has not been said before. The CD was recorded live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada during the week of February 19 - 24, 2007.Steve Perakis was unable to make this particular trip to Canada for the recording. The band brought on board a greatly talented Blues artist in Graham Guest on piano and Hammond B3 and Chris Brzezicki on an Ampeg Baby Bass. Add to this Sean’s great guitar and vocal range and one of my favorite drummers, Eric Blume. A quartet playing six of the Sean Carney Band originals (that I know and love) brings a new twist to the music:

Track No. Title
2 It’s My Life Baby (Bland/Roby)
3 All These Worries (Sean Carney/Eric Blume)
4 Why Do You Lie (Sean Carney/Eric Blume)
9 Life Of Ease (Sean Carney/Eric Blume)
10 What Can I Say (Sean Carney/Eric Blume)
11 Bad Side Baby (Sean Carney/Eric Blume)

The covers of Willie Dixon’s songs would make him smile down from upstairs:
5 29 Ways
8 Too Many Cooks

There are two songs we could all identify with sometime in our life - I sure do:
6 Call My Job (Emery “Detroit Junior” Williams)
7 Money’s Getting Cheaper (Jimmy Witherspoon)

I wish I could have been in Edmonton in that audience! However, I was in the audience at The Orpheum Theater in Memphis, TN for the 23rd Annual International Blues Challenge in 2007. On that evening the original Sean Carney Band consisting of Sean, Eric Blume, and Steve Perakis took the band honors. Sean also took home the Albert King Award for outstanding guitarist. That was my first encounter with the band and I have some funny stories – ask and I will share them. They are all gentlemen and never fail to entertain every audience. NOTE: To purchase this CD and learn more about this band go their website www.seancarneyband.com Enjoy this CD as much as I have since Sean gave it to me in Marietta, OH at the Adelphia opening. ~Miss Ella, Sister To The Blues

CD Review - Chris James and Patrick Rynn

2011-04-04T20:58:00.000-04:00

Gonna Boogie Anyway
Earwig 4960

According to the liner notes, these two San Diego based players “established themselves on the Chicago blues scene….” Understandably, their sound is unmistakably straight out of the spirits that haunt the windy city. After receiving critical acclaim for their 2008 debut Stop and Think About It, the duo have released another top notch recording full of original blues songwriting that is steeped in the Chicago tradition and includes a few new takes on some classic covers from Bo Diddley, Jimmy Reed, and Robert Jr. Lockwood. The recording also features such legendary players as Henry Gray and David Maxwell on piano and Sam Lay on drums. The opener, “Money Don’t Like Me” features Magic Sam-styled guitar playing with Sam Lay providing his classic and innovative double shuffle beat. James’ vocals are classic smoky Chicago. The horns on the CD by Jonny Viau and Allen Ortiz are recorded in the classic Chicago style where they act as subtle complimentary instruments throughout, much like the Elmore James, Howlin Wolf, and Otis Rush recordings of the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. The CD also features four stripped down duos with James and Rynn. The first, “You Can’t Trust Nobody” has the added accompaniment of Maxwell’s piano and features James’ subtly with the electric guitar as well as Rynn’s mastery of the upright bass. The guitar tone throughout the disc is pure Chicago from the classic era. A cover of “Can’t Stand to See You Go” demonstrates James’ ability to capture Reed’s vocal phrasing and tone with one of many examples of authentic harmonica playing from Rob Stone.This great recording helps keep the tradition of Chicago blues alive and well. Whether it comes from San Diego or Patrick Rynn’s hometown of Toledo the sound of Chicago Blues is alive and well with this recording. – Jimmy Adler

CD Review - Sugaray

2011-04-04T20:56:00.001-04:00

BLIND ALLEY

In a nutshell, "pure old- time blues." Sugaray, born Caron Rayford, has a strong, soulful, bluesy voice. His CD, "Blind Alley," will have you swaying and bouncing . My only problem with the CD is that he only does a couple originals. They are good "Blind Alley" and "I sing the Blues." The title song, "Blind Alley," features some nice horns and soulful background vocals. I want more from him! That aside, I love this CD. He is a big Al Kooper fan (me, too). He does 2 Kooper tunes, including the opening song, "Nuthin I Wouldn't Do ( For a Woman Like You)." He does a wonderful cover here. Nice harmonica and vocals with great lyrics."I'd fight dragons with a toothpick just to prove to you I care."

He also does covers ( very well by the way) of Son House's "Death Letter Blues, "B.B. King's "You Upset Me Baby," Blind Willie Johnson's "Dark Was the Night" and Arthur Adams "You Can't Win For Losing." Also, he shows his strong vocal ability on "I've got to Move "( be it brief).

This CD doesn't lack anything. It has dark, soulful blues and lively, bouncy tunes. People have complained that most of today's newer blues artists are mostly derivations of blues... Blues/Rock, Texas/ Blues and so forth. THIS IS BLUES ! I have suggested that people get CDSs before- this one you MUST buy! ~ Don Vecchio

CD Review - Patti Spadaro Band

2011-04-04T20:53:00.001-04:00

BRINGING ME BACK

A couple months ago, Patti Spadaro put out a new CD. She has been part of the music scene in Western PA for over five years now. I don't think she gets her due. Most musicians know of her talent, but not so many music fans. She was big in L.A., opening for national acts like "Little Feat." Some may feel this may not be the place to review her CD, it is mostly rock, not blues. However, Patti is also an important part of the blues scene here and has contributed musically and other ways to keep the blues alive. She plays about any style...and quite well.

Her CD, "Bringing Me Back," shows what happens when a good musician constantly tries to improve. Her guitar sounds melodic as always, but her vocals have improved, as well as her songs particularly on the title track, "Bringing Me Back." For years, I have loved her song, "Tonight." I was glad to see her record it here. This is my favorite tune on the CD. I love the melody and the lyrics. This song shows her talents as both a performer and a writer. She is quite proud of another song, "By My Side," and I see why. Sweet harmonies with background vocals from Jill Paone-Simmons and Cherylann Hawk. Three nice voices blend so well together here, along with a bouncy beat and an upbeat message.

So, those of you who like a little variation in your music grab this CD and go see Patti perform. You won't be sorry. Catch Patti here- Patti Spadaro Band - April 16th at Cefalos with Women On Top (Patti, Jill, Cherylann and Andrea Pearl), and Patti Spadaro Band at the Hop House in Greentree on May 14th.
~Don Vecchio

Chicago in a Day

2011-04-04T20:48:00.000-04:00

The mission: How much can you pack into one day in Chicago? I dropped my bag at my hotel early that Friday morning. My blues friends were waiting in the hotel's lobby. We excitedly headed for the heart of downtown Chicago via the "Orange Line" train. We "hit the ground running" and thus, our adventure had begun.

First stop, a visit to the old Chess Records studio (1957-1967) that now houses Willie Dixon's Blues Heaven Foundation. The foundation's purpose is to promote and pay homage to Chicago's musical legacy with musical scholarships and providing instruments to musicians in need. Many great blues names, (Etta James, Little Walter, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Chuck Berry, and many others), were drawn to that famous address, 2120 S. Michigan Street. (The Rolling Stones journeyed from England to record at that studio. They have a track entitled, "2120 S. Michigan Avenue," to note the importance that Chess Records had on their music.) While there, our entourage joined many people from around the world to explore the office of Leonard and Phil Chess, the main studio where the blues greats recorded, the rehearsal studio and the original sound-proofing room. The Foundation featured a very interesting documentary about Muddy Waters who had been the cornerstone and the catalyst for so many dynamic blues recordings. In that film many of the players who shared that studio with Muddy told stories that surrounded their recording sessions. (That film with its music and the anecdotes about the man, Muddy Waters, was worth the admittance fee.) The theme: their respect and their love for a man that pushed blues into a new era. I watched many blues fans cross the threshold of the Chess Records Studio that day. We were all joined together, imagining what had transpired within those walls.

The Taste of Chicago was next on our list. It was an event that featured music on various stages in the downtown park and some culinary delights from many of the eateries in the Chicago area. (Entertaining, but no blues.) They beauty of the skyline, the lake and the park defied the coldness of the towering, concrete buildings.

Our course then took us to Buddy Guy's Legends. Legends had just moved into its new "digs" a few weeks earlier for the Chicago Blues Festival. Harp player, Bob Corritore, commented: "The new club maintains the vibe of the original club but with a slightly larger room, a better sound system and a fresh coat of paint." Joe Kosmal, a local blues fan, added, after his return from the Chicago Blues Festival, that it looked "fresher." An interesting assortment of guitars and musical artwork lined the walls. Blues people from the blues cruise and from various festivals dotted the premises. Blues stories and Blues glories unfolded. Buddy Guy was there the entire evening, hosting a music extravaganza that included Jimmy Vaughn and Ron Woods. We also witnessed Buddy's newest protégé, a young man that was thirteen years old. He was all of four foot tall, red hair and freckles. Wow, could that kid play! He had such a feeling for the music that at times he was a foot off the ground trying to hit "those notes." The fans were breathless, playing along mentally with each note. Buddy accompanied the young man but stayed in the background and just "let the kid play." The crowd showed their appreciation. (Amazingly, I saw four of those Buddy Guy signature guitars being sold during happy hour to some of his fans. Several more also went out the door later in the evening. It was a good day financially for the Buddy Guy team. You should have seen the shirt sales. Buddy stood at the sales counter and chatted and signed. It was a great photo opt for many. Wow!)

After a few hours, the "unofficial blues caravan" headed towards Kingston Mines. The blazing neon signage and the music spilling out of the club was invigorating to our tiring blues group. Currently celebrating their 50th year, Kingston Mines claims to be the oldest and largest blues club in Chicago and offers music seven days a week, two bands a night. Starting out originally as a coffee house, they became a blues club that showcases traditional Chicago Blues. Many, many blues greats have played there over the years including: Son Seals, Lonnie Baker, Luther Allison, Junior Wells. It was a simply furnished but trendy-feeling blues club. We listened to Electro Glide recording artist, Chris Beard in a very packed main room. His showmanship and knowledge of his craft (that reminded us of Michael Burkes) overwhelmed the crowd. When his set was finished, we went to the adjacent room to soak up some more blues. People from all age groups were crowded around showing their approval of the hard working Linsey Alexander who wowed the audience with his guitar work. The decor (contemporary wall murals) gave the room a very relaxing and upbeat feel. (The ribs were great!)

Our noses were pressed to the windows of the cab, as we searched for our next stop. Our first glimpse of Rosa's recharged our batteries as we piled out onto the sidewalk. Again, the bright lights, the trendy signage and the music pulled us in. Rosa's, boasting twenty six years as a blues club, was also very trendy, yet casual blues "joint." The overflowing crowd was enjoying the sounds of John Lee Hooker, Jr. The crowd begged the man with the rich, music legacy for more and more tunes. Mama Rosa was introduced as the "patron mother of the blues." We settled in and felt at home in a club whose walls were lined with wood paneling, many mirrors, many pictures of famous blues artists and many pictures of the blues fans that had found their "blues heaven"

We journeyed back to Buddy Guy's. The place was jumping. We "jumped" to the front of the long line that was circling the block waiting to get into the famous club. (Thanks to the door man who had remembered us so many hours earlier when we sat with Sam Guy, Buddy's brother.) We squeezed back inside to find even more blues enthusiasts enjoying the treats that Buddy, Jimmy, and Ron were still dishing out musically. The next time I looked at my watch, it was 4:40 am and I was hailing a cab to head back to the hotel. The Blues Caravan had finally disbanded due to fatigue and due to the fact that the "blues joints" were closing their doors.

Mission accomplished. ~Jonnye Weber

After note: The clubs are usually packed but more so since the Crossroads Guitar Festival was the next day. Blues fans came from all over the world to attend that famous festival. They, too, were trying to do the same thing...pack as much everyone could into one day.

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2011-04-04T20:20:00.003-04:00

Celebrating the Music!

2011-04-04T20:19:00.003-04:00

Look what just came out! These two CD compilations celebrate many years of music. Both are a good listen and give you many artists to listen to and appreciate.

Alligator Records is showcasing their 40 years of music with a multi pack CD that hosts many blues legends.

Blind Pig Records is celebrating their 30th Anniversary in the blues business with a twin pack CD release. Both can found online to purchase and enjoy! Happy listening!

BLUES GO PINK

2010-10-19T23:41:00.000-04:00

Many have asked for information on the "Blues Go Pink” show this year. And 'yes,' it usually was about this time of year. We moved it to November 7th at Cefalo’s in Carnegie. This is a Sunday free of a Steeler game, so we hope you all come. This year will feature a bit different line-up and format. For the better, I guarantee!

First, I want to thank all the wonderful women of the Blues who happily accepted the invitation to play. Every single woman I asked said yes. I did not get through my list, so my apologies to the women on the list I did not get to contact. I will get to you next year first.
We will open with a band that is playing with us at Cefalo's for the first time, "The Rozanne Matthews Band." Patti Spadaro, who helps a great deal with organizing the equipment, will then follow with her band. Later, she will have two singers, Katie Simone and Angelica Pietranton, join her and her band. Jill Simmons and theCAUSE will then follow and will have several artists join them including Patti Spadaro, Andrea Pearl and Marcy Brown. I do not know if you have ever seen these ladies sing together, but you will never forget it. They sound great and you can tell that they are loving every minute up there together. Added to theCAUSE line-up will be Cherylann Hawk, who is bringing a guest to sing a tune with her. Next, Pamela Bick and the Warehouse Blues Band, led by Pamela's versatile vocals and dual guitars from John Delo and Denny Turocy, is another band that sounds better every time you hear them. Taking to the stage next is the band that got me into the local blues scene, "Jill West and Blues Attack.” The band has changed some over the years, but the talent always seems to increase. Greg Krupa won "Best Guitarist" at the IBCs this year amid some very talented competition. A woman with a powerful and at times sexy voice who had the most talked about song, "Short Chain," on Blues from the Burgh II, Angel Blue and the Prophets will then follow in the lineup. She promised me that she would do some Janis Joplin ...and can she do Janis! Miss Freddye and Blue Faze then follows. This band sounds more professional every time they play. You are always in for a treat when Miss Freddye comes to town. Joining her later will be a very special treat, Ann Kerstetter, 'the Duchess of Duke St.' Ann is a national act that will be coming to town to entertain us, and I can't wait! Really, I can't wait for the whole show! See you there.

~Don Vecchio

~This is a benefit to assist Adagio Health to provide free cancer and cervical screenings for women in Western Pennsylvania.

VIEW POSTER: http://bswpa.blogspot.com/2010/10/november-7-blues-go-pink.html

2010 PITTSBURGH BLUES FEST

2010-10-19T23:39:00.000-04:00

As always, when it comes to outdoor events, the weather is a major factor. Checking the weather forecast, there were to be severe thunderstorms Friday and throughout the day Saturday. Sunday was to be clear and sunny. Friday was clear and it did not rain Saturday until half-way through the final act - Eric Burdon and the Animals. Sunday, it rained prior to the gates opening and was clear the rest of the day. It seems a shame that weather forecasters make such good money and are only correct 50 % of the time.

Well, I digress. As for the rest of the weekend, the Iguanas played a nice set of Creole style music, followed by Chubby Carrier, had the Hartwood Acres crowd dancing the night away.

The weekend of music was opened by the CAPA students. They had who impressed everyone that I talked to ( I got there too late) and were followed by Miss Freddye and Blue Faze, who have become one of the most entertaining regional bands in Pennsylvania and features talented musicians and Miss Freddye's incredible voice and stage presence. Sweaty Betty opened the second day with guest guitarist, Max Schang. It was a great way to start the day. There was a lot of energy and they seemed to be having a lot of fun.

Day two was outrageously hot with 90 degree weather. Soon, the stage would be just as hot. We heard music we were unfamiliar with. Jim Hamel went to see who was playing. He came back and told us... "All that music is coming from a trio." I had to go look. Moondog was next to us. I asked who it was burning up the stage. His answer, "Sonny Moorman." I hope to see them again soon. This guy plays some mean guitar and great original tunes. They were the most enjoyable surprise of the festival. Norm Nardini led the Pittsburgh Blues All Stars and kept the day going in the right direction. One of these days I'm going to see Norm with a scowl on his face and remaining completely silent during a performance. OK- maybe not. The rest of Saturday featured Nick Curran, the duet of Peter Karp and Sue Foley and Eric Burdon's shortened set. The day started strong but ended soggy and depressing.

We had to hope for a great third day. They were NOW calling for thunderstorms off and on all day. It was raining as we arrived. We went there half-expecting to tear down our booth and call it a day. Miraculously, as we headed to the booth, the rain subsided. It stayed sunny the rest of the day! We were ready to enjoy some tunes! Mahajibee opened the final day and sounded quite good! They sounded smooth and looked comfortable on the big stage. TheCause was next. Yes, that's how they spell it- do not correct me. Jill Simmons sounded and looked great with her band. It was a departure from the blues for the most part, but a lot of fun to listen to. The audience seemed to agree, as they danced in the sun to Grateful Dead tunes and some other tunes. Jill was fresh from her appearance at PNC Park singing the national anthem.

We were now going to see the Blues Society IBC winners for this year, Ron Yarosz and the Vehicle. Many were seeing them for the first time. The audience cheered and shouted at the band with the great original sound. Ron played the harp in his own style and also played the B3 organ on some tunes. I had people from other areas tell us that we had a wonderful winner this year and wished us both luck in Memphis. Ron signed autographs for well over 30 minutes.

Next, was an all-time favorite of mine, Tinsley Ellis. I have seen him many times and he always performs well. A rugged voice, great guitar licks, a drummer who plays like Animal from the Muppets (according to Robb Patterson), and a bass player named "The Evil One." How can you lose? ... Loved Tinsley and band once again. Larry McCray was next and played a nice set. I did not get to hear much, but he sounded good from what I heard.

Then came Kenny! Kenny Wayne Shepherd was on stage with Noah Hunt. They roamed the stage like they owned it. Opening with "Somehow, Somewhere, Someway." You could tell right away the show was going to be hot. I've seen Kenny four times before. He never played with so much confidence. He looked so comfortable on stage, like he owned it. He always sounded good, but this time he LOOKED great, as well as sounding great. Noah Hunt played a more substantial role, too. They often strolled the stage as one.

Hope you all had fun there. I did again as I always do. Thanks to the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, Moondog , Jim Adler, Eugene Morgan, Bubs McKeg, June Esser and all who helped with the Kids tent, including Jonnye Weber, our president who gave input and suggestions, and all who helped make the Blues come alive for a hot weekend in the Burgh.

By the way, the pulled pork sandwich has my vote for the best food item this year ... I put a spare in my pocket to take home.

~ Don Vecchio

PITTSBURGH, July 26, 2010 1ST ANNUAL "GUITARS OVER CANCER" A HUGE SUCCESS

2010-10-19T23:38:00.000-04:00

This past January, Mr. Lee, a Pittsburgh concert and radio producer/DJ, said the success of the 1st annual "Guitars Over Cancer" concert, to raise money for cancer charities, would be measured in two ways; the amount of money raised and the quality of the entertainment. Lee reports that both were accomplished beyond expectations.

Pittsburgh's rock and blues all stars came out in full force on June 13 to honor the late, long-time Pittsburgh guitarist, Warren "Kingfish" King, who died of liver cancer in January.

Billy Price, Norman Nardini, Shari Richards, Gil Snyder, Bill Toms, Ernie Hawkins, Gary Beloma, Frank Czuri, the Granati Brothers, Kenny Blake, Don Hollowood, Glenn Pavone, James Dougherty, Guitar Zack, Marc Reisman, Craig King, and a host of others brought the house down at Altar Bar in the Strip, and helped raise almost $14,000, to benefit the Mario Lemieux Foundation, Susan G Komen For the Cure and the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

"I've listened to, jammed with, and filmed these artists over decades, and I've never heard them play more inspired than they were that night," Lee says. "They made the gig a grand success. Everyone connected with the event donated their time and talents. Norman and Gilbert put together a great 4-hour show."

KDKA's Dave Crawley, a recent cancer survivor himself, was the emcee and introduced musical director, Gil Snyder, and the Mystic Knights to the stage early on, who served as the house band backing up guitarists: Craig King, Don Hollowood, James Dougherty, Randall Troy and local guitar hero Glenn Pavone. Pavone was in the midst of his own personal battle with cancer.

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2010-10-19T23:35:00.000-04:00

Review of Kenny Wayne Shepherd at Pittsburgh Blues Festival - July 25, 2010.

2010-10-19T23:33:00.000-04:00

There are 2 things that Pittsburgh Concert goers (and especially Pittsburgh blues fans) love. The first is a female vocalist who can belt out the blues soulful and sassy. The other is the guitar god who can stand cocksure on the stage and bring lightning from the sky with each wailing note that he plays. Well, those who attended the Pittsburgh Blues Festival on its final night got none of the first, but plenty of the last from Kenny Wayne Shepherd and his excellent band.

Kenny and his band, featuring superb vocalist, Noah Hunt, got things off to a roaring start with the bluesy, shuffling, “Somehow, Somewhere, Some Way.” The crowd was on its feet from the first note and stayed that way throughout. Next up was a great rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Everything is Broken” which has become a favorite among Shepherd’s fans. Kenny knew what the Pittsburgh crowd came to hear and he didn’t let them down. He stuck with songs that have been highlights of his career. The sweet ballad, “Last Goodbye,” provided a great showcase for Hunt’s vocal prowess. Kenny and the gang ripped through “Come On” and the crowd was wowed by the sheer power and passion of his playing. Although Shepherd’s style definitely leans more to the blues/rock side of things, songs like: “Shame, Shame, Shame,” “Shotgun Blues,” “Kings Highway” and the soaring instrumental, “Ledbetter Heights” reminded people that this was still indeed a blues festival performance and that this band could play it as well as anyone. Shepherd then closed out his set with the huge hit, “Blue on Black,” that gave the crowd a moment to sing back and show some of the love that they had seen expressing throughout his performance. Although they had been onstage for 90 minutes already, Kenny and the gang were far from done. An absolutely superb encore of “King Bee” and Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)” which included some absolutely stellar moments of showmanship and skill by Shepherd as he worked the stage from end to end wowing the crowd closed out the night.

This may have been the finest headlining performance that I have ever witnessed at a Pittsburgh Blues Festival. Shepherd and Hunt have great stage chemistry together onstage that helps the crowd feel the passion that they put into their music. The other members of the band include a driving rhythm section of bassist, Scott Nelson, and drummer, Chris “Whipper” Layton (formerly of Double Trouble). Keyboardist, Riley Osbourn, had some standout moments during the performance, particularly during the bluesier numbers. The Kenny Wayne Shepherd band absolutely rocked Hartwood Acres and the crowd roared its approval at the close of the night! This was truly one memorable show and let’s hope that Kenny brings his fine band back to our area very soon.

~Jim Franciscus

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2010-10-19T23:32:00.000-04:00

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2010-10-19T23:28:00.000-04:00

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HERITAGE BLUES FEST - WHEELING, WV

2010-10-19T23:25:00.000-04:00

I had been looking forward to this weekend for months and hoping that all would work out with the weather. The Weatherman was being negative: 'possible thunderstorms- some severe ALL 3 DAYS.' Just like with Pittsburgh Blues festival. There were so many acts here that I wanted to see, I hoped for the best... NO rain-outs
please.

We got to Wheeling Friday at 3:00 P.M. They had moved our booth from its usual spot. Good or bad? ...we'd have to see. We unloaded and went to the McClure Hotel where we learned of more changes. The after-jam was no longer there. It was moved three blocks away to the River City Inn. That was an inconvenience. Also, they lost their food license and the breakfast was no longer there. Bigger inconvenience.

We strolled to the Park to set our booth and enjoy some music. Guy Davis opened the show with a nice acoustic set. He played some guitar and harp. He sounded good on both. It was an excellent way to start the weekend. John Lee Hooker, Jr. followed and then John Hammond, who I would finally get to see and hear. He didn't disappoint. Great choice of tunes and a great skill with his guitar and vocals. Friday concluded with Tab Benoit, who was incredible again. He later came to the After-jam and played both guitar and drums. It was a wonderful way to end the first night. AND no rain! Also at the After-jam led once again by Billy the Kid was Shakura S'aida. Perry Salati played some harp with Tab Benoit and sounded great, as did Jimmy Adler on his guitar. Many people got photos with Tab, and if you look closely at the picture of Tab, Sheila and Diane, you'll notice an odd look on Tab's face. Both of the ladies' hands are missing behind Tab's back. I can't say where they were for sure but the photo speaks for itself.

Saturday came and was hotttt! ...and so were the bands. Grady Champion, the IBC winner in 2010, opened the second day. Playing some nice harp and spreading his finesse all over the stage and into the audience. He is a natural .It just got better from there. As always there's a surprise band that comes from out of nowhere to blow me away. This year it was Cedric and Malcolm. A duo, but the likes of which I'd never seen. Cedric Burnside, R.L. Burnside's grandson, plays drums as few can. Lightning Malcolm, plays a mean guitar and sings like he's lovin' every second on stage. There was a weather scare at 7:00 PM. Announcements were made that a major storm with strong winds was headed our way. We looked at a weather map and saw ominous red and yellow splotches 10 miles from Wheeling. We closed up the tents, tied off the posts and roamed away. Fifteen minutes later we checked the weather map. The storm had miraculously split! It went right around Wheeling to the north and to the
south, like something out of a cartoon! It was incredible. We got ten minutes of moderate rain and nothing else. A friend told me his sister was ten miles south and had to pull over due to high winds and torrential rain. I'll tell you later what one person had to say as an explanation.

The festival continued and with the booth closed, we all got to watch the rest of the show. Janiva Magness came out and showed why she won B.B King’s Entertainer of the Year. She had a powerful voice with a talented band. She looked great in her short, black dress and sounded better. The only disappointment came when it was announced that Hubert Sumlin was ill and would not be at the festival. Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith played an extra long set. After an hour, the 98 year old Pinetop Perkins came out and played. Amazing!

The after-jam that night started with Damon Fowler and Sean Carney playing together! Wow! What a sight and sound to behold. It got better! Later, Bernard Allison came on. What a night! Another problem we had was finding a good place to eat breakfast. Wheeling had become another city to feel the economic crunch. Many places were closed. We had been told to try the Casino. We were heading there to lose a few dollars anyway, so decided to try it. I highly recommend it! I saw about eight of us there and everyone was thrilled with whatever they ordered, and the quantity was there as well as quality.

Sunday featured quite a few acts that I was anxious to see. I went to the stage to watch Anders Osborne up close. He played extremely well. Including a ten minute version of my favorite love song, “Stoned, Drunk and Naked." Next, Super Chikan with his all-girl band, "The Fighting cocks." He told us his drummer was his daughter (that's what his wife told him). He was quite entertaining. "Shoot that Thing" was his cry after each song. Duke Robillard played his usual professional set, sounding as clean as anyone that I had heard. He was followed by what many thought was the best band of the weekend. Drums, bass, keyboard and guitar all sounded incredible- the Bernard Allison band. The drum solo was as good as any I had ever heard. There was some kind of problem with John Mayall and the promoter, but after a delay, John came on to conclude a wonderful weekend of music .

Oh, I told you before that I would explain what someone said about the miracle of the storm splitting around and missing Wheeling. It was Bruce Wheeler, the festival organizer, who said to us, "I think Jim Weber had a hand in it. He talked to God and told him 'they're having a blues festival, can you spare them from the storm?"

I don't know how many of you were at the Pittsburgh Blues Fest in 2009 when Ron 'Moondog' Esser took the microphone on the stage and said in the wake of storms heading for the area..."Jim Weber is smiling down and talking to God making sure we avoid the storms". In both cases-we avoided the storms!

Thank you, God! Thank you, Jim!

~Don Vecchio

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2010-10-19T23:15:00.000-04:00

OCTOBER 22 - THE PAWNBROWKERS

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2010-10-19T22:50:00.000-04:00

Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover

2010-10-19T22:49:00.000-04:00

The voice from his website lures you in with his Oklahoma twang laced with Bostonian undertones. Simply said..."I'm Watermelon Slim. This is the place to get up close and personal with the blues.” A blues fan in Wheeling commented that Watermelon Slim was a rough and disheveled character but musically talented. Hmm! I leaned over and said...."Don't judge a book by its cover. You may just be surprised!" In 2002 after a brush with mortality, Bill Homans a.k.a. Watermelon Slim proclaimed, "Everything I do now has a sharper pleasure to it. I've lived a fuller life than most people could in two. If I go now, I've got an education, I've lived on three continents, I've played music with a bunch of immortal players, I've fought in a war and against a war. I have seen an awful lot and I've done an awful lot. If my plane went down tomorrow, I'd go out on top."

The Memphis Flyer once proclaimed: "Does anyone in modern music have a more intriguing bio than Bill "Watermelon slim" Homans. Greg Johnson of the Cascade Blues Association stated: "First impression, disheveled and eccentric. Then you realize how honest and humble he truly is. His suit may be oversized, his teeth missing and his face looks worn, but for every line in Bill's face, there is a story to be told. His intelligence is baffling. He is as complete a showman as there is...his music is utterly authentic. As to his overwhelming flurry of success since his award winning CDs and award winning performances at the Blues awards since his illness, Homans added, "I have had the Hollywood ending to a life that really had nothing to do with Hollywood at all." He added in that interview that it is his 'quest to see, learn and to do as much as he can before the final bell rings.'

Born in Boston and having attended boarding school there, his family included a father that was a progressive attorney and ex Freedom Rider and a brother who was a successful banker turned classical musician and composer. Homans was raised in North Carolina listening to a maid singing songs from John Lee Hooker, earned a degree from Oregon University in journalism and history in 1986, a masters in history in 2000 and was a former member of Mensa. For thirty years, his journey led to being: a forklift operator, truck driver, saw miller (lost part of a finger), sold firewood, salesman, collections agent, funeral officiate and briefly dabbled in a life of small crime. Being a Vietnam veteran, he ardently supports veterans issues. Cory du Browe added, "Despite genteel family roots, college degrees, Mensa, Homans can relate to the notion that a life spent getting up off the canvas after getting knocked down is a life well suited to channeling the blues. Music has only been part of his extended courage otherwise known as life."

Wounded in Vietnam, he taught himself to play upside down, left handed slide on a $5 Balsawood guitar using a triangle pick cut from a rusty coffee can and his Swiss issued Zippo lighter as a slide. He is the only veteran known to have produced a CD during the Vietnam war, Merry Brakes (1973).

Wanting to share the depths and complexity behind Watermelon Slim's facade, I wanted to ask him more.

Jonnye: You released two CDs recently, Escape from the Chicken Coop and Ringers. Is your transition in music an exploration because you can do it and are able to entertain other passions to keep yourself interested...or is it a departure that is going to continue. Many blues fans are worried. I have read that you were a "late bloomer" in the music world. Your sound (thirty years in the making) is now so distinctive that many blues fans are afraid that they will not get more blues from you.

Watermelon Slim: (thoughtfully and earnestly) It took me a long time to "learn" my own style. (very seriously) I play left handed and backwards on a right handed guitar...like Jimi Hendrix. I had to become master of my own style to have people want to listen to me play. I am a musician, an artist and an acclaimed artist. Music, itself, is an exploration...it is always a continuing education of sorts style. Yes, it was an exploration. Yes, it may continue...possibly. Yes, I have five blues records in the works. I heard the blues first and have known and lived the blues throughout my life. I also have a "very fertile musical background." I am a country fan from my growing up in North Carolina. I am a fan of great "music technicians" (Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Hank Williams and Hank Williams, Jr.) In the new year, I will have a blues release coming out that is a duet with Super Chikan. He's a real Mississippi bluesman. Those cuts were made in 2007 in Memphis. (We are both retired truck drivers and have a common love of music.) I have had a "large background" and plan to keep filling out more parts of it in the future. I have another that is a live solo album. If all goes well, Watermelon Slim and the Workers will have a new CD out at the end of 2011 or early 2012. There is a DVD release party at Ground Zero on Sept. 17 in Clarksdale, Mississippi and includes work from Charlie Musselwhite, Big George Brock and Jimbo Mathis.

J: During your days in Eugene, Oregon as a student and as a musician, how and who influenced your music. I understand from my talks with Curtis Salgado that it was a wild and interesting time for musicians. It was a "crossroads" for traveling musicians in a very "hip" town. I heard that your roommate and colleague was Henry Vestine from Canned Heat. Could you tell us something about those times?

WS: Curtis is a tremendous vocalist and has an excellent vocal presentation. Curtis is the most qualified person to speak about the last twenty five years of music. Vocals are/were my number one thing. I sang in the choir at 6 years old and was the lone boy soprano soloist in a major school presentation singing Ave Maria. (thoughtfully) Oregon was a great time. It was a virtual crossroads with many legendary and star west coast musicians playing...Lloyd Jones, Mark Hummel and Robert Cray. Yes, Henry "Sunflower" Vestine was a legendary part of the party arena. (Chuckling) He had cut down right before I started rooming with him. He died in 1997. We worked together for almost a year. We frequented Old Taylor's Tavern next to the campus in a band named, Church of the Blues.

J: I heard that you and Bonnie Raitt were involved in some protest movements back in Boston.

WS: (quietly) I don't want to get into politics but I will say that she showed up as a supporting act for the Vietnam Veterans Against the War on July 3, 1972. I was a big fan of Fred McDowell and wanted to send him a letter telling him that. (earnestly) She gave me his address. The letter arrived the day after he died. Bonnie and I went to his grave and sang acappella... a song of his that I have done for over forty years (Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning). Recently, Bonnie and I also witnessed the unveiling of Fred McDowell blues trail marker. Bonnie and I will be forever linked as disciples of the Fred McDowell style of playing.

J: How's your golf game. I was the one who wanted to drive your golf cart in Tunica right before the blues awards.

WS: (chuckling) I'll being doing more of that at the end of the tour season in November...it will still be warm here. Music is not all that I do. I have agricultural activities to do.

J: I first met you several years ago at the Tampa Bay Blues Festival. I was amazed that you politely let the security know that you were going out into the crowd and just have some ice cream. I love the fact that you are always among the people.

WS: The key to "me" is that I am accessible. I'm a journey man. I enjoy people and am empowered by people through the music. I end all of my concerts with...'God Bless ya'all.' Thank you. (emphatically) Those two words are the most important words that I use throughout the world in my travels. I always add..."Thanks for letting us share with you."

Thanks Bill Homans, aka Watermelon Slim, for sharing with us.

~Jonnye Weber

After note: The young guitar player that now has your black high top tennis shoes from the blues cruise charity auction was thrilled with your unique donation!

GLENN PAVONE

2010-10-19T22:45:00.002-04:00

It is always a tough thing when a music community loses one of its own. But when the Pittsburgh music community lost guitarist Glenn Pavone in August, it lost a lot more than just the man who was considered the best guitarist in town. It lost a good man.

Every story written about Glenn, including several written during his bout with cancer in 2008-2009, always included testimony to the fact that he was simply a great guy – a quiet, unassuming man with a special talent for making music that spoke volumes to friends and strangers alike.

For example, there’s a tribute page on Facebook that’s filled with praise from more than 200 friends and fans. Here’s just one thought that caught my eye: “Your music was the soundtrack for my courtship with my husband. Such a great gift in such a humble vessel.” And you can go to Legacy.com on the web and find even more kind words for Glenn, both as a musician and as a man.

Not that you needed a newspaper story to tell you that. Anyone who knew Glenn would gladly tell you the same thing. But it’s still amazing to sort through the articles and quotes and feel the love and respect that pour off the pages. He battled his cancer valiantly and with considerable grace, and by all accounts, summoned enough strength to make beautiful music while he was very ill.

Glenn’s Pittsburgh story began when he came to town from Virginia in 1982 to join Billy Price and the Keystone Rhythm Band. He played there for eight years before leaving the KRB to form his own band, the Cyclones. He immediately established himself at the top of the list of guitar-men in the region, and helped push the KRB even farther into best-band territory in those days. And Glenn’s talents pushed the Cyclones into that rare atmosphere of fine Burgh bands.

Glenn came recommended by Jimmy Thackery, then of the Nighthawks – the same Nighthawks who later wanted to recruit Glenn for themselves, but he would not leave Pittsburgh for possible national acclaim. And it wasn’t enough that he found respect here for his work – Glenn also found his wife, Nancy, after she showed up at a KRB show with a friend who was there to check out the new guitar player in the band.

I was going to ask a lot of people about Glenn for this article, and gather a lot of quotes to make the obvious points about his talents for music and life. One of the first I asked was Billy Price, who brought Glenn into town and worked closely with him for years. Once I got Billy’s reply, I decided that his thoughtful and personal reminiscence was really all that was needed to pay tribute to Glenn and his multiple gifts.

“Sometime around 1981 or 1982, Keith Grimes, my guitar player at the time in Billy Price and the Keystone Rhythm Band, decided to move back to his home in Maryland near Washington, DC and leave the band. We held a lot of auditions for a replacement, and we never really found anyone who would obviously be able to fill the position. At the time that Glenn auditioned, we had decided to hire a guy from Pittsburgh, a versatile and skillful guitar player, but we weren't really sold on him. Still, Keith was anxious to move back to Maryland, his patience was running out, we had grown tired of the search, and we were ready to get started working with our new guitar player.

“In the meantime, though, Jimmy Thackery of the Nighthawks had sent another recommendation our way, a guy who had played in the Bill Blue Band from Richmond named Glenn Pavone. What we had heard about him was that he was a good guitar player, but also that he was young and wild and potentially unreliable. So we were a little lukewarm on the audition, which took place at Desperado's on M Street in Washington, DC; more than anything, we were doing the audition as a favor and courtesy to Jimmy. We fully expected that we would say, "Thank you very much," and move ahead with hiring the other guy.

“We were unprepared for what happened that night. Glenn plugged in, and in a matter of seconds--literally--there was no question that he could be our new guitar player if he wanted to be. It was the first of many times that I experienced that sense of awe at his natural talent that so many of us felt just about every time we heard him play. We did persuade Glenn to move to Pittsburgh and join the band, and between 1982 and 1990, I had the privilege to bear witness to his extraordinary gift firsthand. They were great years for that band.

“People who have been reminiscing about Glenn over the past month have talked, of course, about his amazing talent and facility on the guitar, and about what a sweet, gentle, kind, and humble guy he was--all true. But the one thing about Glenn that I do not hear too many people talk about and that may have been the most unique thing about him was his irrepressible enthusiasm and exuberance for so many things in life: playing guitar, sure; but also golf, baseball, fishing...I could go on and on. And he approached everything with the same focused energy that he applied to playing guitar. ~Jim White

“There was simply nothing that he didn't think he could do, and most of the time, I believed him. I remember a couple of weeks, for example, in which he was seriously considering trying out for the Pirates or some other major league team, absolutely convinced that he could make it to the big leagues if he dedicated himself to it. This kind of thing could make Glenn exasperating to a bandleader with a file cabinet full of contracts and calendar full of commitments. You could never be sure what he was going to do next. But the non-bandleader part of me -- which I'd like to think, is the better part--never stopped admiring and yes, envying the little boy in Glenn who always went where his heart led him, regardless of the risks or consequences.

“It is still hard for me to believe that anything ever could have stopped him. He never became as famous as many other lesser guitar players, but being famous was pretty low on the list of things that he cared about. Regardless of what the rest of the world knows or doesn't know, though, I know that I had the opportunity to work with one of the most uniquely talented musicians ever during the years when I sang with Glenn. And, maybe more importantly, I got to know and love an extraordinary guy during the years when I knew him.”

BLUES TRIVIA

2010-10-19T22:42:00.000-04:00

by Cary Wolfson

Even though no blues recordings had yet been made, the year 1915 was a huge one for the blues. No fewer than eight substantial modern bluesmen were born that year. Can you name them?

Find the answer at: http://bswpa.blogspot.com/2010/10/answer-to-trivia.html

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2010-10-19T22:39:00.000-04:00

FRIDAY OCTOBER 22 - STRANGE BREW

SATURDAY OCTOBER 23 - THE MYSTIC KNIGHTS

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2010-10-19T22:35:00.000-04:00

Who is Mikey Jr.?????

2010-10-19T22:32:00.002-04:00

When the oldest continuously running blues society in the world says you’re the “real deal”, that has to mean something. When blues forums toss your name around with the likes of harmonica masters like Little Walter and Sonny Boy...that has to mean something. Of course, there will always be skeptics; but to the blues fans of the northeast United States, there is no doubt that at just 26 years old, Mikey Jr. is chasing the masters at a pace that’s frightening.

Growing up on the tough streets of Trenton, New Jersey, Mikey Jr. is a self-taught prodigy. With his impressive collection of vintage tapes, cds and videos, Mikey spent the better part of his youth immersing himself in the world of blues music. By the time he was twenty-one, he was already a road-tested player, making even ardent blues purists, take notice.

Since that time, Mikey Jr. has released an impressive four CDs as well as a documentary DVD. He’s been praised by blues societies as well as players for his original take on “old school” styles and his latest release, “Look Inside My Pocket” is being hailed as a watershed effort by the blues community. Mikey Jr. never set out to re-write the pages of blues history, but through his true love of the music and his undying dedication to the masters that came before him, it seems all but certain that Mikey Jr. will scribe his name in the annals of blues history - right alongside the very masters that influence his every performance. www.mikeyjunior.com

“Mikey is the real deal” Bob Settelen, Vice President of the Bucks County Blues Society

NEW YEAR'S EVE BLUES BASH

2010-10-19T22:31:00.000-04:00

NOVEMBER 7 - THE BLUES GO PINK

2010-10-19T22:30:00.000-04:00

ANN KERSTETTER - The Duke Street Diary

2010-10-19T22:28:00.000-04:00

Ann Kerstetter (the Duchess of Duke Street) is known for her emotional live performances. She knocked 'em dead at the IBC’s. That doesn't mean she can't make a hot CD; in fact she has two of them. Her second CD, "Duke St.

Diary," has quite a variety of tunes. There are three or four that just knock me out and many more that I truly enjoy. My favorite is "All Day and All Night Long." It had my feet tapping and my buns bouncing. The only problem... I
was driving at the time. I also like her version of an E.G Kight song, "If You Ever Touch Me," a steamy tune. She briefly tells her story in "Duke Street down to Memphis” Well, it's not that brief. It's eleven minutes long. It's a good tune with a slow driving beat. She also shows her other side...that of a Spanish teacher in "No Mi Toques Asi." This song can be caught on YouTube and got good reviews. She shows her versatility by also doing a romantic blues ballad, "When Your Smile Warms Me Like the Sun,"(love that title) and a bouncy "Messin down in Texas." Don't just take my word on it , this CD was a semi-finalist for best self-produced CD at 2010 IBCs. Here's more good news about Ann! She's coming to do our "Blues Go Pink" show November 7th at Cefalos! We all will get to see her, many of us for the first time. So pick up this CD or her first, "Classics."

Brett Fleming from WEVL in Memphis said, "Ann's vocals had the crowds at the IBCs hooked...don't miss an opportunity to see her in your town." No problem, I won't! ~Don Vecchio

....Catch Ann at the Blues Goes Pink Benefit on November 7, 2010 at Cefalo's in Carnegie!

MIKEY JR. AND MATT DANIELS - Pocket Full of Money

2010-10-19T22:27:00.000-04:00

Mikey Jr. seems like an unlikely name for a blues guy. Don’t let the name put you off, this guy’s got the goods. He convinced me at last year’s Heritage Blues Festival in Wheeling. Backed by a crack band, he put on a great performance, wailing out chorus after chorus of harp licks, jumping off the stage and into the crowd with his wireless rig. The point was driven home at the after jam, when I went outside for a smoke. Out comes Mikey Jr., soaked with sweat from the August heat, fueled by some liquid refreshment, still blowing away on his chromatic. The guy loves to play and entertain

That brings me to this CD, Pocket Full of Money. It is subtitled “the acoustic recordings." It’s stripped down, “old school” blues, just acoustic guitar, stand-up bass and Mikey Jr., singing and blowing acoustic harp. The opening title cut grabs you by the lapels and gets your attention. Driven by his soulful, passionate vocals, accompanied only by acoustic guitar and of course Mikey’s harp. He lets guitarist Matt Daniels stretch out solo on “North Country Blues,” a nice finger picked showcase for him. He covers four Robert Johnson songs and two Muddy Waters’ tunes. That’s my only (minor) complaint about this CD- I would have liked to hear more original songs, or at least some more obscure covers. Still, it’s a good CD. Mikey Jr. is a very talented harp player and singer. If you ever get a chance to see him in person, jump on it. He puts on a great show!

~Tuck Majeran

GRADY CHAMPION - Back in Mississippi Live at the 930 Café, GSM 7400

2010-10-19T22:24:00.000-04:00

I don’t listen to rap music, so I am very happy that Grady Champion left his rapping career behind to offer up some blues. He has the blues thing down pretty good, as witnessed by his recent International Blues Challenge crown at the finals in Memphis. If you are not familiar with Grady and his band, this CD is a great way to explore his powerful brand of blues.

What you hear at this performance is The Grady Champion Revue featuring the wailing guitar melodies of Eddie Cotton, Jr. There is a little bit of swing, a lot of soul, and a mix of classic blues covers and Grady Champion originals. “Brother, Brother” is a stand-out showcase of his songwriting skill that will surely induce repeat listens. Covers include Willie Dixon’s “I’m Ready” and a two-fer of Jimmy Reed. Another Dixon song, “Spoonful” is erroneously credited to Chester Barnett, a.k.a. Howlin’ Wolf, but it is a howlin’ good version, wherein Grady shows his pleasant demeanor as he playfully addresses the crowd.

Did I mention that Grady sings and plays harmonica? Although his vocals may sound at times like he is being strangled, what you are hearing is really pure emotion. His harp playing is always note-for-note the perfect accompaniment, yet overall, it is somewhat sparse. With Cotton’s guitar fills, and the keyboard work of Calvin Wilson, there is never a dull moment.

You will find one snippet of rap on this disc, but I’m looking forward to more of his blues.

~ Jim Capp

CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE - The Well

2010-10-19T22:23:00.000-04:00

(Alligator Records)

My first impression after listening to Charlie Musselwhite’s new CD, The Well, was… "this thing has total groove all the way through.” The Well, Charlie’s first release since Delta Hardware (2007), is a keeper.

The 13 tracks on the album were all written by Musselwhite. In addition to his world wise vocals and harmonica, Charlie even plays guitar on two of the tracks. The band Charlie has assembled for this recording has Dave Gonzales of the Paladins on guitar and John Bazz from The Blasters on bass. (By the way, those are two of my all time favorite bands). Stephen Hodges of Tom Waite’s band is on drums and Mavis Staples adds her famous vocals on “Sad and Beautiful World.”

You can tell by listening, that all the tracks on the album have some serious inspiration behind them. From Charlie’s battle with alcoholism and 22 years of sobriety, a stint in jail and his mother’s murder, this album is deep and colorful. If you’re a blues fan, song writer, or harmonica player; this CD is flat out inspiring. Like I stated earlier… it’s just plain total groove.

~John Kunzwiler

MITCH WOODS - Gumbo Blues (Vizztone)

2010-10-19T22:22:00.000-04:00

When I saw this CD, I had to hear it. It spoke to me "Gumbo Blues." Sounds tasty and delightful. I listened to it before I read the insert as I always do. I liked what I heard, but wondered why all covers.

I then read: "a Tribute to Smiley Lewis and the Pioneers of New Orleans Rhythm and Blues." I then just kicked back and let this CD take me on a journey back in time. Most songs were written by Dave Bartholomew. The style, if you're not familiar, is a bouncing, kicky beat, similar to "Roomful of Blues." It includes "Blue Monday," a Fats Domino hit. I love the Fat Man, and wondered why more people don't cover his stuff. There is not a song on this CD that won't get you on up your feet, dancing the night away. This Cd is simply a lot of fun. If you fall asleep listening to it-check your pulse!

~Don Vecchio

CHRIS BEARD - Who I Am and What I Do

2010-10-19T22:20:00.000-04:00

We receive way more CDs than we can review here, but appreciate everyone sending. I try to do a select couple CDs. You may notice that I don't do negative reviews. It's not that I don't find CDs that I'm not wild about, there

are quite a few. I even get letters, e-mails and calls from promoters asking to review what they send. So, unless a CD comes out that demands I warn the general public to "avoid at all costs," I'll try to stay positive.

With all that being said, if you see a CD with my name on it, get it! That includes Chris Beard. There are a few performers out there with blues roots. Some are marginal and living on their relative’s names. However, Chris Beard, son of Beale St. bluesman Joe Beard, is a talented guitarist and writer. Some friends of Joe Beard, who play on "Hard Out Here" would hang around the house and give young Chris guitar lessons. The friends were Buddy Guy

and Matt "Guitar" Murphy. There are some great guitar licks throughout along with powerful vocals. I recognized a

couple tunes and heard some new ones that I loved. "Insecurities" has a pulsing beat featuring bass and drums. When the guitar comes into play, with some hot licks building up and increasing the tempo along with some horns, it becomes one great tune. I listened to this one over and over. When I checked who wrote it, I saw C. Beard /R. Baker Brooks. I love Ronnie Baker Brooks and when I looked farther, I saw two more songs co-written by Brooks/Beard and another Brooks wrote himself. Seems those two, both sons of bluesmen, are friends, along with Bernard Allison, who also wrote a tune on this CD. Wouldn't it be nice to see them play together?

Another song I just love is “Tied Up, Tied Down and Twisted." This was written by Alan Mirikitani. Being as this tune is simply kickin’, I'd like to know more about him. Anyone know about Alan Mirikitani? He has to have more tunes out there that I'd love hearing.

Chris also shows range. The title tune "Who I Am and What I Do” and "That's the Way Love Was Meant to Be" are old R&B style tunes. Give Chris Beard a listen.

~Don Vecchio

JANIVA MAGNESS - The Devil is an Angel Too

2010-10-19T22:19:00.001-04:00

(Alligator Records)

Three time winner of the Contemporary Blues Female Award from the Blues Foundation in 2006, 2007 and the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year Award in 2009, Janiva Magness has just released The Devil is an Angel Too. Her music, always sung with passion, conviction and soul, has offered yet one more showcase of her glorious voice. She has once more reached into the depths of her soul to bring an emotionally charged CD that is packed full with earthy songs that delivers her type of blues. Something is distinctively different this time. Magness has tossed in a heavy dose of R&B. Her band is tight and provides a great sound but it is her voice that is always front and center. Her songs talk about the good, the bad and the ugly. She takes an audience to the rawest nerve of a thought, unwraps the honestly of life's situations and then brings the listener back with a soaring, enriched expose on life's choices.

There is a reason why Janiva Magness has won so many blues awards in recent years. The woman is a powerhouse and has been recently dubbed, "Queen of the blues." In the title song, The Devil is an Angel," her voice was extremely sultry while exposing her bare knuckled honesty. "You look just like an angel, you seem so sweet...haven't I seen you before, heart ache at my door." The story builds and the music goes from a deliberately slow lamentation and reels into a funky upbeat melody that entertains, chastises, yet has the realization of life's desires. "Walking in the Sun" began with a melancholy guitar introduction and again turned into a funky beat about life gone wrong. The words, "...things been goin' wrong for long enough that I know when things are going right " and "I've been losin' enough to know....even a blind man knows when he's walkin' in the sun." Wise words, wonderful music. "I Want a Love" was well orchestrated. The music was ceremoniously kept low in the background to showcase that rich voice. It was an upbeat and toe tapping song that made you want to hear more. ...and this was just a "taste" of what this woman dishes up to you on this CD. Got a "craving" for rich, heartfelt blues...listen to Janiva!

Musicians Corner - Find Out About Local Bands

2010-10-19T22:12:00.000-04:00

Billy the Kid and the Regulators

Billy the Kid and the Regulators are back to their old haunts, with some new licks, after an inspiring weekend at the Heritage Music Blues Fest in Wheeling, WV. Billy, along with his band, hosts the popular "after jam" that concludes each day of the festival. Three nights in a row of afterburner blues keep the late-night festival crowd hungry for more! The Kid keeps the show moving as celebrity guests and local favorites share the stage. Shakura S'Aida and headliners, Tab Benoit and Bernard Allison, were among this year's midnight mojo makers. Talk to Billy about it, and he'll flash you that glowing Cheshire Grin of his. "Cat…this is where it's at!" This is the 6th year of after-jammin' since Heritage Music founder Bruce Wheeler first invited Billy to host. Members of the band are: Billy Evanochko on guitar and lead vocals, Gary Ripper on Bass, Jimmy Mabin on keys and vocals and Joey Pinciotti on drums.

Strange Brew

In 1997, Strange Brew was voted “Best New Band” in Pittsburgh. Strange Brew has been described as original blues with a twist. Their very diverse backgrounds have led them to develop a unique style that is "cool modern blues." After releasing their first album in 1997, "Lost and Broken Hearted," Strange Brew was featured on House of Blues Radio Hour and was dubbed with the honor of "play of the week." Strange Brew then toured the country and produced another acclaimed CD on Riff Records, Blues Cauldron. Today, they continue to play a hard-hitting mix of original blues, classic rock & blues, and rousing rock ‘n’ roll. Strange Brew band members are: Fran Rifugiato on guitar, Marcy Eustice on vocals and flute, Jim Capp on bass, and Chris Belin on drums. Look for their next release in late 2010 or early 2011.

The Rich Harper Band

Rich Harper learned to play blues guitar the traditional way by primarily being self-taught listening to and learning from the recordings of artists like Eric Clapton, B. B. King, Rory Gallagher, Freddy King, Duane Allman, and so on. Rich developed his own slide style using the same Coricidin medicine bottle as Duane Allman. After paying his “blues dues” in small blue collar towns throughout Pennsylvania, Rich moved to Los Angeles to gather like minded musicians and formed the Rich Harper Blues Band.

Steve Langhauser of the Mississippi Valley Blues Society Blues News commented: “No spit & polish. I don’t want spit & polish. I just want talent and blues. I want some classics & I want some slide. I want to have some fun & I want it to be real. RHB with their down home, hard working, blue collar Blues delivers all that.”

Jo Lane of the Blues Times (Sydney Blues Society in Australia stated: “Rich is not just a blues musician, but a blues craftsman…with quirky, intelligent lyrics weaving through familiar stylized riffs that are exceptionally well played.”

With the success of their debut CD, “Don’t Think Just Play,” the Rich Harper Blues Band was not only selected as one of Amazon.com’s prestigious “Emerging New Blues Artists,” but Taxim Records, a German label, joined the group’s growing list of blues fans by placing another cut, “She’s On Her Way Up,” on their compilation album titled “More Disaster City Blues.” It wasn’t long before the band’s name was popping up in blues magazines everywhere and blues societies were urging their members to check out the exciting new group who were carving out a unique niche for themselves in the blues world. By the time the band released their second CD, “Bottled Up Blues,” Europe had jumped on board by making the band the #1 selling artists in Switzerland on Amazon’s charts. Radio stations worldwide welcomed the new CD with open arms and this time one of the cuts, “As She Moved In (My Guitar Moved Out),” topped Rolling Stone Magazine’s “MP3 & More Blues Chart” at #1. The international blues scene stood up, did a double take, and these talented artists haven’t stopped since.

(Rich Harper and his band, at a recent 'Blues is a Healer Veterans Tour' in Aspinwall, revealed that his was one of the first blues bands that went in under cover into the war zone to entertain the troops. What a story, what a revelation!)

Augusta Heritage Center’s Blues Week in Elkins, West Virginia

2010-10-19T22:09:00.001-04:00

Elkins, West Virginia provided a lovely, rural backdrop for all the exciting musical people and events that I experienced during my week at Davis and Elkins College at Blues Week. The gentle rolling hills, the old Victorian buildings on campus, and the pristine atmosphere created a perfect setting for relaxing and enjoying the people, the place and the music.

The first morning class that I attended was Richard Smith’s vocal warm up. Richard is a Bluesman, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and recording artist from Elkins known as Motor City Smitty. He has nurtured the talents of many generations of students as an instructor. His teaching style is loosey-goosey compared to some, but he exudes confidence and a positive spirit and draws something out of each student. We sang, and learned about phrasing and putting your soul into the music.

Pictured: Tittenhurst, the Victorian mansion on the campus of Davis & Elkins college where afternoon and nightly jams took place during Augusta's Blues Week in July.

Blues Vocal Techniques with Alligator Records recording star, Gaye Adegbalola, with Roddy Barnes accompanying on piano was the next morning class. Gaye was in Sapphire, The Uppity Women of the Blues, which disbanded last November. She tours, teaches, records and performs now as a duo with Roddy Barnes, a brilliant pianist who lights up the room as soon as his fingertips hit the keys. Gaye also lectures on the history of women in the Blues. She was named teacher of the year in Fredericksburg, Virginia before going on the road with Sapphire, so it was no surprise to see her relaxed, comfortable teaching style. She provided great information on a full array of topics that included: choosing songs that fit the audience, setting a mood, giving 100% of your energy, making your delivery come from the heart, finding the right key for your voice, how and when to growl without straining your voice, creating stage presence and engaging the audience and keeping their attention. Gaye’s afternoon class was Vocal Performance which was limited to twelve students. Each student sang a song, and the class evaluated them, giving constructive criticism. It made you identify your strengths and weaknesses from an objective point of view.

I found Gaye to be the biggest source of inspiration to me. I am starting to teach vocal instruction and got lots of ideas from watching and listening to her. I am also performing as a duo with a guitar or keyboard player in addition to the five-piece band, Sweaty Betty, and am developing an appropriate repertoire. Gaye provided lots of ideas on the direction to take with that.

The classes were fun and informative all at once. I met and talked to lots of students who came from as far away as Canada, Texas, and Florida. I even ran into a harp player from Texas, Starvin' Marvin, whom I had met on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise in 2005. He agreed that the classes provided a self-esteem boost and a great deal of inspiration. Whether you were an instrumentalist or a vocalist or both, there was a wealth of good information and musical experiences in one week that will last a lifetime.

In the afternoons there was a jam session on the porch that I attended. Doc Blue, one of Pittsburgh’s most talented harp players, was also there. When he chimed in, he blew everyone away with his solo with a big range, great techniques, cool effects, and in perfect rhythm. The jam consisted mostly of guitar and harp players. I only got to sing one or two songs, so I didn’t get to ham it up as much as I would have liked!

At the more informal, evening "porch jams," I sang my heart out and strained my voice a bit. I had to take it easy for most of the week to preserve my voice for the Pittsburgh Blues Festival that Saturday, including a presentation in Jimmy Adler's Kid’s Tent and another gig that night in Sewickley at the Sons of Italy.

There was also a dance most nights where a few swing dancers ruled the dance floor doing the Lindy Hop, and blues dancing, which is a Dirty Dancing version of slow dancing. The band was smokin’ hot, making smooth transitions between blues and R & B, with a hint of rock. The drummer was a 21-year old prodigy from Washington DC, Andrew Guterman, who was a phenom. His playing was very smooth and loose, with lots of innovative and some unorthodox moves and rhythms.

The added bonus to the stay in Elkins was the cabin on the Cheat River which I rented with Kim Lucchini, aka ‘Ruby’, a budding Pittsburgh vocalist. I fell asleep every night to the sound of the river gently rushing by. The hot tub on the deck was a great perk, too. We made several glasses of wine disappear that week while soaking in it! In the mornings we recovered on the deck, sipped strong coffee, listened to the river, and watched squirrels run across the deck railing. When we saw a great blue heron glide by twenty feet from us and two deer walking in the shallow river, we knew we were in God’s country.

All in all it was a week well-spent meeting new people, enjoying the music of many professional and amateur musicians, examining my own musical and performing skills, and being inspired by the instructors on and off the stage.

For information about the Augusta Heritage program at Davis & Elkins College, go to:

http://www.augustaheritage.com/blues.html

Gaye Adegbalola will be in the Pittsburgh area on Thursday, November 4 at California Univ. of PA (near little Washington) in California, PA. She will deliver a lecture on the History of Women in the Blues, and will perform in concert with Roddy Barnes that evening.

http://adegbaola.com

~ by Sweaty Betty’s Marcy Brown

www.sweatybettybluesband.com

WINNERS OF EVENT TICKETS

2010-10-19T22:07:00.000-04:00

Winners of the New Year's Tickets

Pittsburgh - Evelyn Oawster; Carnegie - Dave Jermenko; Blues Night out with Ron Yarosz and the Vehicle - Paul Frano

Winner of the Package of tickets to the Divas Show, Helping the Kids Lose the Blues, Bye Week Blues at the Pittsburgh Blues Festival...Karen Mitesser.

ANSWER TO TRIVIA

2010-10-19T22:06:00.000-04:00

· Muddy Waters, one of the most significant and best-loved bluesmen of all time.

· Willie Dixon, often regarded as the genre's most prolific and important songwriter.

· David "Honeyboy" Edwards, who hoboed around with the best of them and whose uncanny memory is still a great resource to students of the blues.

· Robert Lockwood, Jr., who learned directly from Robert Johnson. One of the first electric guitarists, he has enjoyed a career spanning eight decades.

· Johnny Shines, an energetic slide guitarist, singer, songwriter, storyteller, and social critic, who also palled around with Robert Johnson

· Memphis Slim, a piano giant with an incredible recorded output who turned his back on American Racism and went to live in Paris.

· Brownie McGhee, the ultimate guitar-playing Piedmont bluesman, who gained huge popularity with his longtime partner Sonny Terry

· Wynonie Harris, a jump blues and R&B Shouter who turned suggestive lyrics into big hits in the late forties.

~Cary Wolfson

Blues Society of Western PA - Newsletter

BSWPA's 7th International Blues Challenge (IBC's)

Pittsburgh Blues Festival - July 22-24, 2011

Friday, July 22ndGates Open at 4:00 PM

Saturday, July 23rdGates Open at 1:30 PM

Sunday, July 24thGates Open at 1:30 PM

Did you know?

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Interview with Charlie Musselwhite

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Sharon, PA - City Blues Fest

Remembering Pinetop Perkins

Get in the Game - NVWG 2011

Blues In Schools

The long road home… - Interview with Lionel Young

Heritage Music Blues Fest - August 12 - 14, 2011

Bands and Musicians!

How To Sing the Blues - A Primer for Beginners

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Blues Day Out - Picnic Alert!!

How did you get your blues?

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Thank you from Foundation to Fight Blindness

MUSICIAN’S CORNER - Find out about the local bands

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CD REVIEW - Shiver

CD REVIEW - MoJo Theory II

CD REVIEW - Patrick McLaughlin

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COMICS

Blues Goes to School

Words of from lessons learned:

In Memory of Gary Moore ~ 1952-2011...Rest in Peace

2011 BSWPA BLUES CHALLENGE

A Message from the Blues Foundation

Ron Yarosz/ Gary Prisby-our 2011 Memphis IBC Experience

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IBC Insiders...The BSWPA Interviews Sean Carney

Circle C - Walking Away the Children's Blues

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One Song I've Never Heard Again... (In response to an article in the last issue.)

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Did you know?

And the winner of the 2010 BSWPA signed blues guitar...

Talking with Michael Burks

WE NEED YOUR HELP

Feedback from the School of the Blind

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CD Review - Kirsten Thien

CD Review - Sean Carney Band

CD Review - Chris James and Patrick Rynn

CD Review - Sugaray

CD Review - Patti Spadaro Band

Chicago in a Day

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Celebrating the Music!

BLUES GO PINK

2010 PITTSBURGH BLUES FEST

PITTSBURGH, July 26, 2010 1ST ANNUAL "GUITARS OVER CANCER" A HUGE SUCCESS

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Review of Kenny Wayne Shepherd at Pittsburgh Blues Festival - July 25, 2010.

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HERITAGE BLUES FEST - WHEELING, WV

AD: The Thunderbird Cafe

AD: The Royal Place

Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover

GLENN PAVONE

BLUES TRIVIA

AD: Moondog's

AD: Custom Heating Co.

Who is Mikey Jr.?????

NEW YEAR'S EVE BLUES BASH

NOVEMBER 7 - THE BLUES GO PINK

ANN KERSTETTER - The Duke Street Diary

MIKEY JR. AND MATT DANIELS - Pocket Full of Money

GRADY CHAMPION - Back in Mississippi Live at the 930 Café, GSM 7400

CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE - The Well

Friday, July 22nd
Gates Open at 4:00 PM

Saturday, July 23rd
Gates Open at 1:30 PM

Sunday, July 24th
Gates Open at 1:30 PM